Saturday, September 07, 2013

Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

By Diana Hsieh

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows


Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

Sunday Morning, 8 September 2013: Q&A on Central Purpose, Self-Confidence, Secrets, Hate Crimes, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 8 September 2013.
  • Question 1: The Value of a Central Purpose: What is the meaning and value of a central purpose? In "The Objectivist Ethics," Ayn Rand says that "productive work is the central purpose of a rational man's life, the central value that integrates and determines the hierarchy of all his other values." I find that confusing. What constitutes a central purpose? How does it function in a person's life, particularly in relation to other values like a spouse, children, and hobbies? Should I be worried if I don't have a clearly identified central purpose?
  • Question 2: Self-Confidence at Work: How can a person gain the self-confidence required to ask for a promotion at work? I know some people who don't socialize much, and they really seem to struggle during interviews for promotions. They seem to lack confidence in themselves. How can they gain it? Does that kind of self-confidence depend on social acceptance and support?
  • Question 3: Keeping Secrets for Competitive Advantage: Is it wrong to protect my competitive advantage in sport by refusing to share information? I am an aspiring MMA fighter. I've done a lot of work studying personal fitness, how to prevent and fix personal injuries, and how to maximize force output. I recently signed up for a MMA gym to prepare for some amateur fights. I'm concerned that when I do non-conventional "stretches" before or after a workout I'll get questions from curious people. Then I'm in a dilemma. I would like to make friends, but I really don't want to give away for free my knowledge that I have worked hard to achieve – knowledge which gives me an edge over many competitors. I don't want to tell them where I got this information either. Perhaps if they ask what I'm doing, I could say "trade secret" or something else. Ultimately though, I don't want to give potential competitors the tools that will help them beat me. Is this legitimate? Is it immoral or unwise?
  • Question 4: Hate Crime Laws: Are hate crime laws just? Hate crime laws impose additional penalties for crimes motivated by hatred for or bias against the victim for his group membership, such as religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or ethnic background. Do such laws protect or violate individual rights? Should such laws be maintained, modified, or repealed?
The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 8 September 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. For more details, check out the episode page.

Note: Philosophy in Action Radio will not broadcast on Wednesday, 11 September 2013.


Recent Podcasts


The podcasts of last week's radio shows are now available. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

1 September 2013: Q&A on Competition, Risking Welfare, Trolley Problem, Infatuation, and More

I answered these questions on Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

What is the value of competition? Should a person forgo having children to avoid the risk of needing welfare? Does the 'trolley problem' have any validity or use? Is it wrong to indulge romantic infatuation?

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more, including audio files for individual questions.

4 September 2013: Christian Wernstedt on "Your Health Versus Stress"

I interviewed personal health coach Christian Wernstedt about "Your Health Versus Stress" on Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

"What are some of the common ways that stress impairs a person's health? What can a person do to resolve those problems? Personal health coach Christian Wernstedt helped me recover from adrenal insufficiency, leaky gut, and other problems stemming from my 2009 crash into hypothyroidism. In this interview, he shared his basic approach and insights with us." Christian Wernstedt, born and raised in Sweden but now living in New York City, is a personal health coach, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in applying science and time proven empirical methodology to one's everyday practices such as diet, exercise, and supplementation. In 2008, while working as a freelance IT consultant, he became Interested in evolutionary concepts in nutrition and has since then studied and practiced these and other health related ideas and methodologies. In 2010 he founded the company VitalObjectives, which has since then become a successful coaching and educational practice with a track record of putting individuals on a path towards improved health and resolution of health issues.

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.

Recent Blog Posts


Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.
If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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By Diana Hsieh · Posted at 10:00 AM · Labels:
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