Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

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 most 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, 6 April 2014: Q&A on Open Objectivism, Giving Back Gifts, Military Secrets, and More

I'll answer these questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 6 April 2014.

• Question 1: "Open Objectivism": What is "open Objectivism"? Recently, I checked out the website of "The Atlas Society," the organization run by David Kelley. It advocates for "open Objectivism," which I assume means that each person defines what Objectivism is. Am I interpreting that correctly? What's wrong with that approach? Does regarding Objectivism as "closed" lead to intolerance, insularity, and schisms?
• Question 2: Giving Back an Engagement Ring: Should a woman give back her engagement ring if the relationship goes sour? A friend of mine asked his girlfriend to marry him, and she accepted. However, they broke off the engagement – and the relationship – a few months later. Is she morally or legally obliged to give back the ring? Is the answer different if they married, then split?
• Question 3: Buying Books with Military Secrets: Is it wrong to buy a book containing sensitive military information? The Pentagon claims that the new book No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Bin Laden reveals some potentially sensitive details about the operation. I'd really like to read about the mission, but I'm concerned that the Pentagon's concerns are valid, and I'd rather not contribute to a work that that puts our soldiers at risk. However, given that the book has already been released, does it matter whether I buy it or not?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 6 April 2014. The podcast will be posted later that day. For more details, check out the episode page.

Recent Podcasts

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

30 March 2014: Q&A on Evolution's Ethical Implications, Body Image, Theology, and More

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

Should ethics begin with facts about evolution, including altruism? How does a person cultivate a healthy body image? Can a rational atheist extract any value from studying theology?

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

• Duration: 1:09:38
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.0 MB) or Standard MP3 File (23.9 MB)
• Tags: Activism, Altruism, Animals, Benevolence, Biology, Body Image, Egoism, Epistemology, Ethics, Fitness, Groups, Health, Literature, Meta-Ethics, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion, Sacrifice, Science, Self-Esteem, Society, Theology

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.

• March 31: NoodleCast #275: Evolution's Ethical Implications, Body Image, Theology, and More
• April 1: Paul Hsieh Forbes Column: What The US Can Learn From the Australian Health Care Debate
• April 2: Fast Approaching Break-Even on Responsibility & Luck
• April 3: Preview: Sunday Radio: Open Objectivism, Giving Back Gifts, Military Secrets, and More
• April 3: "Oh, You'll Change Your Mind…"
• April 4: New Questions in the Queue
• April 4: Link-O-Rama

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