Philosophy In Action

Every Sunday morning, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh answers your questions on the principles for living a happy, virtuous, and free life in her live Philosophy In Action Webcast. It's at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET at http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com. Submit your questions here!
Managers
I would like to...
by comments
by date
by popularity
Sort
Display all
or
Enable filter

5 votes Vote

Is the welfare state a good reason to restrict immigration?

Conservatives -- and even some Objectivists -- claim that immigrants are flocking to the United States for our welfare benefits. They claim that immigration must be restricted until the welfare state is curtailed. Is this a reasonable position...
P. R. , 27.11.2012, 11:13
0 comments
5 votes Vote

If a married couple wouldn't marry again, should they split?

Many married couples seem to stay together due to inertia, not because they truly value each other. My view is that if a couple wouldn't marry again, they should get divorced. Is that too high a bar in marriage?
Diana Hsieh, 31.12.2012, 20:31
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Can marriage be self-interested?

How is marriage possible in a life of uncompromising self-interest? Most people describe marriage as requiring compromise, sacrifice, and concession. Is that right? How can a person approach marriage differently in order to live a fulfilling and...
Jason, 31.12.2012, 09:14
0 comments
5 votes Vote

What is the solution to the is-ought problem?

David Hume famously claimed that statements about what ought to be cannot be derived from statements about what is the case. Does that mean that ethics is impossible? Can the gap be bridged, and if so, how?
Matthew Squire, 25.01.2013, 07:56
0 comments
5 votes Vote

What are "spiritual" values?

In your 27 January 2013 discussion of "Materialism in Marriage," you talked about the importance of "spiritual values." However, I found that confusing, since I've always associated "spirituality" with religion (often of the woozy variety). So...
Anonymous, 29.01.2013, 17:06
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Should employers be required to warn employees of possible harms on the job?

Discovery Channel’s TV show titled “Gold Rush” depicted a South American gold miner using mercury in the mining process because mercury binds to gold and makes extraction from a “sluice.” Mercury being heavier, falls below the surface...
AlfredStappenbeck, 09.10.2013, 12:39
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Is "common sense" a form of rationality?

Wikipedia defines "common sense" as "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Is that a form of rationality? What's the value of "common sense"? Should a rational person rely on common sense in moral...
Anonymous, 17.02.2013, 12:57
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Should a professor pass a student who deserved to flunk for fear of reprisals?

Because you've taught at the university level, I want to ask you about integrity in grading as a professor. Suppose you flunked a student who never showed up to class and didn't complete the assigned work adequately. However, this student was...
legendre007, 17.10.2013, 01:05
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Is mere survival the standard of moral value?

In "The Objectivist Ethics," Ayn Rand says that man's life is the standard of value. What does that mean? Is it mere physical survival? Is it mere quantity of years -- or does the quality of those years matter too? Basically, what is the...
jonathanTownley, 07.04.2013, 09:11
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Is person responsible for his incapable sibling?

Imagine that your brother (or sister) is not capable of taking care of himself: he makes poor choices, he has poor work habits, and he is emotionally immature. Are you thereby responsible for him? Should you try to help as much as possible, so...
bgreifinger, 21.05.2013, 04:32
4 comments
5 votes Vote

Should people who merely like and respect each other ever marry?

Imagine that a person doesn't think that he'll ever find true and deep love -- perhaps for good reason. In that case, is it wrong to marry someone you enjoy, value, like, and respect -- even if you don't love that person? What factors might make...
Ramana, 24.05.2013, 07:02
0 comments
5 votes Vote

How much sympathy should I have for people failing in their obligations due to personal struggles?

In the past two years, I've witnessed two businesses (both one-person operations) crash and burn due to the owners' inability to continue to operate while suffering from severe depression. I don't know the trigger in the first case, but in the...
Lauren, 05.07.2013, 13:22
1 comment
5 votes Vote

What is the relationship between empathy and morality?

Must a person possess a strong sense of empathy to be moral? Is empathy an important quality of character or moral emotion -- or the most important? What's the role of empathy in a rational person's life?
legendre007, 28.08.2013, 10:04
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Should sellers of homes be obliged to report the spiritual or criminal history of the property?

Many state laws require that "stigmatized" properties, such as those with a history of paranormal activity or a past owner such as Jeffrey Dahmer, be reported by real estate agents. That leads to the home being devalued in price. Should such a...
tili, 31.10.2013, 09:07
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Does photography qualify as art?

I've always viewed photography as a legitimate form of art. However, many people I disagree: Ayn Rand argued that it's a technical rather than a creative skill. However, I regard photography as a technical and creative skill, just like painting....
Trent Grasse, 11.11.2013, 15:29
0 comments
5 votes Vote

What is the nature of character?

What is meant by a person's "character"? Is that broader than moral character? What is the relationship between character, personality, and sense of life?
Jonathan, 06.12.2013, 23:52
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Should an egoist be willing to torture millions to benefit himself?

In your discussion of explaining egoistic benevolence on December 22, 2013, you indicated that you regarded such a scenario as absurd. Could you explain why that is? Why wouldn't such torture be not merely permitted but rather obligatory under an...
Anonymous, 26.12.2013, 17:06
2 comments
5 votes Vote

Is the doctrine of double effect true?

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says: "The doctrine (or principle) of double effect is often invoked to explain the permissibility of an action that causes a serious harm, such as the death of a human being, as a side effect of promoting...
c andrew, 12.01.2014, 08:39
1 comment
5 votes Vote

What should I do about the dishonesty of my new project manager?

One of the project managers at my job recently lied when evaluating my co-worker. We are evaluated yearly, but aren't supposed to share the results of the reviews with others. However, my co-worker shared her review with me. It painted her in an...
Anonymous, 13.01.2014, 18:05
0 comments
5 votes Vote

How can I overcome my past failure to capitalize on the perfect opportunity?

Two years ago, after years of struggling in the post-2008 job market, I had a job opportunity that could have been the best thing that ever happened to me. It was a job that represents my values and could have brought me much-needed financial...
Toasty, 29.01.2014, 22:56
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Is it a mistake to enter into a serious relationship with a person with serious psychological problems?

Recently, my wife took her own life after a long struggle with major depression and other psychological issues. When we started dating, I saw clearly that she had issues although they were not as bad at the time. She was also intelligent,...
TheFairlaner, 14.04.2014, 10:04
3 comments
5 votes Vote

How can a disabled person overcome a toxic childhood?

I am a fifty-one-year-old woman with several neurological disabilities, and I would have liked to have been reared as a human being. Instead, I was frequently informed (usually by my mother) that I was a "retarded, subhuman spectacle" -- a...
Kate Gladstone, 11.05.2014, 17:15
1 comment
5 votes Vote

Do good ideas in superhero movies and television change people's philosophy?

I have really enjoyed the pro-freedom and pro-personal responsibility messages of some recent superhero movies. However, I wonder whether those messages do any good. Rationally, I believe that a person can enjoy these superhero characters and...
Lauren, 27.05.2014, 06:16
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Can an egoist have too big an ego?

People often speak disapprovingly of "big egos." The idea seems to be that a person is not supposed to think too well of himself or be too assertive. Is this just the product of altruism, including the idea that a person should be humble? Or...
Anonymous, 28.05.2014, 07:59
0 comments
5 votes Vote

How should I introduce my teenagers to "Atlas Shrugged" and Objectivism?

I'd like to introduce my teenagers to Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged," as well as to the principles of her philosophy of Objectivism. How should I do that? My concern is that I'll bungle it up and bore them to death or succeed too well and...
Adam, 08.07.2014, 10:05
0 comments
5 votes Vote

Is it wrong to suggest that a crime victim should have taken greater precautions?

My wife and I were discussing the recent iCloud data breach in which a hacker stole and published nude photos of hundreds of female celebrities. I made the comment that while the hacker’s actions were despicable, at the same time I thought the...
sirchess, 02.09.2014, 19:00
0 comments
5 votes Vote

What are the philosophical underpinnings of growth versus fixed mindsets?

At SnowCon, we discussed the negative impact of the doctrine of Original Sin on Western culture over breakfast one morning. We saw that this idea -- which tells people that they are hopelessly flawed by nature -- could encourage fixed mindsets....
Anonymous, 24.03.2015, 22:10
1 comment
4 votes Vote

How should we judge NFL quarterback Michael Vick?

As an animal lover, I was appalled when the NFL allowed Michael Vick to play pro football again after his dog-fighting episodes. But now that he's doing well, part of me wants to cheer for him, telling myself that he's a "reformed man who...
Football fan, 22.11.2010, 11:56
1 comment
4 votes Vote

Can an Objectivist believe in God?

Can a person be a theist and an Objectivist? Or is that too fundamental a conflict? If so, why?
FormSpring, 24.11.2010, 22:25
0 comments
4 votes Vote

What did you think of the movie of Atlas Shrugged, Part 1?

(I figured that I'd better ask myself this question so that I can answer it on Sunday!)
DianaHsieh, 15.04.2011, 10:39
0 comments

Pages< 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 >