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 most Sunday mornings and Thursday 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, 20 July 2014: Q&A on Conservatives, Grading Fairly, Unearned Guilt, and More
I'll answer these questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 20 July 2014.
- Question 1: Conservative Allies in the Struggle for Liberty: Aren't politicians like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul allies in the struggle for liberty? Although I'm an atheist and a novice Objectivist, I've always wondered why so many advocates of individual rights oppose candidates and movements that seem to agree with us on a great many issues. Despite their other warts, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are the most likely men to promote our causes. The notion that they evangelize is dubious. And even if true, are there better alternatives today? I've also seen this attitude towards Libertarian candidates and their party. Ronald Reagan was the only President who advanced the ball towards free markets in the last fifty years, and yet people condemn him because of his position on abortion and because of his religious/political partnerships. I've never understood this. Shouldn't we embrace the advocates of free markets out there today, even if not perfect?
- Question 2: Flunking a Student: 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 well-connected to university donors and administrators. After you flunked this student, suppose that a high-ranking administrator threatened reprisals against you if you didn't give this student a passing grade. What should you do? Would it be corrupt to comply with the administrator's demand? What might you (or another professor) do instead?
- Question 3: Guilt about Refusing Requests: How can I overcome feelings of unearned guilt about refusing other people's requests? Too often, I feel guilty when I shouldn't – for example, for rejecting unwanted romantic advances or declining invitations to events with family or coworkers. Even though I know logically that I have the right to pursue my own values rather than satisfy the wishes of others, I feel terrible knowing that my actions will disappoint or upset someone else. Too often I succumb to the guilt: I agree to things I'd rather not because I don't want to let someone else down. What philosophical or psychological strategies might I use for dealing with such unearned guilt?
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.
15 July 2014: Podcast on "Moral Amplifiers"
I podcast on "Moral Amplifiers" on Tuesday's Philosophy in Action Radio:
"Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism upholds seven major virtues as indispensable to our lives. Yet what of other qualities of character – such as ambition, courage, spontaneity, liveliness, discretion, patience, empathy, and friendliness? Are these virtues, personality traits, or something else? In this 2013 talk at ATLOSCon, I argued that such qualities are best understood as "moral amplifiers," because their moral worth wholly depends how they're used. I explained why people should cultivate such qualities and why they must be put into practice selectively."
You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.
- Duration: 1:02:06
- Tags: Ambition, Aristotle, Character, Ethics, Kindness, Moral Amplifiers, Objectivism, Persistence, Personality, Virtue
17 July 2014: Chat about "Responsibility & Luck, Chapter Four"
I discussed "Responsibility & Luck, Chapter Four" with listeners on Thursday's Philosophy in Action Radio:
"The purpose of a theory of moral responsibility is to limit moral judgments of persons to their voluntary doings, products, and qualities. However, moral judgments are not the only – or even the most common – judgments of people we commonly make. So what are the various kinds of judgments we make of other people? What are the distinctive purposes and demands of those judgments? What is the relationship between those judgments and a person's voluntary actions, outcomes, and traits? I answered these questions and more in this discussion of Chapter Four of my book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame."
You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.
- Duration: 35:07
- Download: Standard MP3 File (12.1 MB)
- Tags: Academia, Aristotle, Common Sense, Crime, Epistemology, Ethics, Justice, Law, Luck, Metaphysics, Moral Judgment, Moral Luck, Philosophy, Politics, Responsibility
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.
- July 11: Link-O-Rama
- July 12: NoodleCast #294: Limited Government, Enjoying the Moment, and Lots More
- July 14: Activism Recap
- July 15: Preview: Thursday Radio: Chat on Responsibility & Luck, Chapter Four
- July 16: NoodleCast #295: Lecture on Moral Amplifiers
- July 17: Preview: Sunday Radio: Conservatives, Grading Fairly, Unearned Guilt, and More
- July 18: NoodleCast #296: Chat on Responsibility & Luck, Chapter Four
- July 18: Parenting by Belay
- July 18: Link-O-Rama
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