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!
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1 vote Vote

Should concealed carry permits be required to carry firearms concealed?

In the United States today, most states have "shall-issue" concealed carry laws, whereby the sheriff of a county must issue a concealed carry permit to anyone who meets the requirements. Those requirements usually include no history of criminal...
Anonymous, Yesterday, 11:51
0 comments
1 vote 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, Yesterday, 04:32
3 comments
1 vote Vote

What's wrong with the "marginal humans" argument against meat-eating?

Ayn Rand (in agreement with Aristotle) defined man as the rational animal -- meaning that man's essential quality is that he possesses the faculty of reason, while other animals do not. In debates about vegetarianism and animal rights, many...
markcoldren, 20.05.2013, 19:14
0 comments
0 votes Vote

What would suicide be rational?

What conditions make suicide a proper choice? Are there situations other than a terminal illness or living in a dictatorship -- such as the inability to achieve sufficient values to lead a happy life -- that justify the act of suicide?
Clive, 13.05.2013, 21:57
0 comments
4 votes Vote

When is a relationship broken beyond repair?

Relationships can be severely strained, fraught with anger and frustration, and perhaps put on ice for weeks or months or years. Yet in the end, the two people can often reconcile in some way, so that they can enjoy a genuine (even if not deep)...
Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 12:10
1 comment
1 vote Vote

Is philosophy deduced from axioms?

Often, I hear people claim that philosophy -- particularly Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism -- is deduced from axioms. Is that right? Personally, I don't see how that can be: How can anything be deduced from "existence exists"? But if...
Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 11:57
0 comments
1 vote Vote

Are spouses entitled to privacy with each other?

My wife thinks that she should have access to all my online accounts, including my email. I don't have any secrets from her, and my email doesn't contain anything scandalous. Still, I don't want her prying into my conversations, and I don't see...
Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 11:52
0 comments
2 votes Vote

How would the poor obtain medical care in a free society?

In your May 12th, 2013 show, you discussed how EMTALA -- the law that obliges emergency rooms and doctors to treat patients, regardless of ability to pay -- violates the rights of doctors and results in worse care for the poor. But what is the...
Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 11:39
0 comments
6 votes Vote

What is the individualist response to claims about "white privilege"?

You recently published a blog entry entitled, "Personal Motives for Benevolence" where you introduced the idea that prejudice is often formed by favoritism and not overt bigotry. Clearly, favoritism can extend to race too, in the same way it...
Doug H., 10.05.2013, 03:38
0 comments
4 votes Vote

How should a young adult manage persistent differences with his family?

As I grew up, I turned out radically different from my family expected. They think college is necessary for success in life. I didn't, and I dropped out. They eat the Standard American Diet and hate fat. I eat Paleo, and I glorify fat. And so...
Benjamin (Benpercent) Skipper, 01.05.2013, 07:49
0 comments
3 votes Vote

What is the proper relationship between ownership and control over property?

Today, politicians seem to want to reduce a person's control over his property, such that it's ever-closer to ownership in name only -- such as by limiting the capacity of landowners to develop property. Also, selling plots of land on Mars would...
Tjitze de Boer, 30.04.2013, 01:32
0 comments
6 votes Vote

Should individuals try to avoid online surveillance by the government?

In a recent comment thread on NoodleFood, there was a debate over the extent to which a person's use of Internet tools such as cloud storage, password managers, wifi, smartphones, etc. exposes him to surveillance by the federal government. It...
asdalton, 25.04.2013, 18:54
0 comments
1 vote Vote

Should DDoS attacks be illegal?

Should distributed denial of service computer attacks be illegal, like they are in the United Kingdom? Are they analogous to convincing people to send many letters to an organization or to calling on the phone repeatedly, thereby crippling its...
Roberto Sarrionandia, 24.04.2013, 12:32
0 comments
3 votes Vote

Do unfit parents have a right to procreate?

Courts today seem to hold the view that people have a right to procreate. As a result, wholly unfit parents can produce child after child. Even if the court removes the latest child from the home when very young, some abuse or neglect must have...
Anonymous, 23.04.2013, 12:09
0 comments
12 votes Vote

Is a moral career in law enforcement possible today?

Today, anyone involved in law enforcement would likely be required to enforce immoral laws, such as those against drug use, prostitution, and failure to pay taxes. Given that, can a career in law enforcement be moral?
Nathan, 19.04.2013, 09:19
0 comments
5 votes Vote

When should a person declare his love for another?

What is an appropriate amount of time to wait before saying "I love you" in a new relationship? New relationships often start out strong, but then the feelings of eros dissipate after a few months. When you meet someone who you share the same...
Marc, 18.04.2013, 15:22
0 comments
5 votes Vote

When should exceptions to established rules be granted?

People often oppose some proposed exception to the rules on the grounds that doing so would set a dangerous precedent and engender abuse. For example, suppose that an honest and diligent student is in the hospital, and he wants to keep up with...
Anonymous, 16.04.2013, 16:01
0 comments
2 votes Vote

Is it wrong to invest in crony businesses?

Crony companies -- similar to Orren Boyle's Associated Steel in "Atlas Shrugged" -- seek government favors, such as subsidies for themselves and controls on competitors. Yet their stock may perform well in the short to medium term. Is it immoral...
Cary Yates, 15.04.2013, 08:33
0 comments
9 votes Vote

How should I respond to friends who fanatically hate President Obama?

As a free-market advocate, I'm distressed about President Obama's policies. However, I'm increasingly worried about some of my friends in the free-market movement exhibiting an alarming level of hatred for President Obama. I have seen my friends...
legendre007, 13.04.2013, 14:45
0 comments
7 votes Vote

Should a person who does not wish to live be forcibly prevented from committing suicide?

John doesn't like living. He finds no joy in life, and only lives because it would upset other people if he ended his life. He has tried counseling and medication, but he simply has no desire to continue to live. He makes no real contribution...
Arthur Russell, 13.04.2013, 08:52
0 comments
3 votes Vote

What's the difference between consistency and extremism?

I'm often called an "extremist" for my views -- in my view, because I'm very consistent and refuse to compromise. Religious people are often called extremists too, yet that's really only consistency with their scripture. So how does "extremism"...
Hunter Polhemus, 10.04.2013, 17:02
0 comments
4 votes Vote

Is it wrong to walk away from a person who suffers from repeated medical emergencies due to their own irresponsibility?

Over a year ago, I was the tenant of a type-1 diabetic who refused to eat properly. As a result, I regularly had to call the ambulance for her, as she would allow her blood-sugar to drop to dangerous levels, such that she couldn't think or move...
Benjamin, 10.04.2013, 13:43
0 comments
1 vote Vote

Should I use a pen name for a novel to conceal my sex?

I'm an unrecognized author of a soon-to-be self-published young adult novella - my first. This novella will be published under my real name. In order to keep my interest in writing fresh, plus practice writing strong female characters, I've...
Geoff O'Brien, 07.04.2013, 22:19
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
12 votes Vote

What are the most significant values destroyed by statism?

In other words, what values would be available to us — or more available — in a laissez-faire, rational society that are limited or unavailable to us today? What are some of the major (and perhaps under-appreciated) values destroyed or...
Nathan, 04.04.2013, 15:51
0 comments
15 votes Vote

Would the government of a free society employ scientists?

In a fully free society, would there be any scientists employed full time by the government for police, legislative, or judicial services? If not, how would judges obtain the necessary scientific knowledge to make proper rulings in the court...
markcoldren, 03.04.2013, 19:35
1 comment
2 votes Vote

How can abortion rights be more effectively defended?

Although the biblical case against abortion is weak, the religious right has gained much traction against abortion rights in the last decade or two. The "personhood" movement is growing every year, and incremental restrictions on abortion have...
Anonymous, 31.03.2013, 14:52
0 comments
6 votes Vote

What can the success of the gay marriage teach us about effective advocacy for economic liberty?

In your March 31st, 2013 broadcast, you discussed the reasons why the campaign for gay marriage has been so successful. You hinted at some lessons, particularly the need to give people concrete experiences from which to draw their own...
Anonymous, 31.03.2013, 14:48
0 comments
8 votes Vote

What's the rationale for declaring some physically mature people too young to have children?

Given that nature has dictated that both male and female humans can procreate in their early teens and given that morality is deduced from reality, why would sex and procreation at that young age be immoral? Isn't that what nature intended? More...
Joel, 31.03.2013, 10:18
1 comment
3 votes Vote

Is it wrong to treat opposition to Israel's policy as antisemitic?

At times, I've noticed a seeming package-deal in the media, whereby any criticism of Israel's policies is dismissed as a form of antisemitism. Yet I've met people over the years who don't support Israel' s political positions, but they claim to...
Joel Schottenfeld, 31.03.2013, 10:01
0 comments

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