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 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, 15 March 2015: Q&A on Philosophy, Confederate Flags, Abortion Funding, and More

I'll answer these questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 15 March 2015.

• Question 1: Major Branches of Philosophy: What are the major branches of philosophy? Ayn Rand claimed that philosophy consisted of five major branches – metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and esthetics. Is that right? If so, why are those the five major branches? Are they comprehensive in some way? Why not include philosophy of science, logic, philosophy of mind, and so on?
• Question 2: Displaying the Confederate Flag: Is displaying the Confederate flag racist? I've been told by southerners that displaying the flag of the Confederate States amounts to a display of "southern pride." I think it amounts to a display of racism, given the history of the south. That flag was used in a time when the agricultural economy of the southern states relied on slave labor. Many southern states seceded from the Union, largely because of their nefarious interests in preserving slavery. The Confederate flag represents these states and their ideology. Hence, I think it's morally questionable (at least) to display it. I don't think the south should take pride in or honor the Confederacy. Am I right or wrong in my thinking? What should I think of people who choose to display the Confederate flag?
• Question 3: Taxpayer-Funded Abortions: Should taxpayer-funded abortions be opposed? In Victoria, Australia, we have fairly good laws on abortion and there are almost no legal or social barriers to access. However, we also have a very generous public health care system which means that most if not all of the costs of an abortion will be covered by the public. Is there something especially wrong with publicly funded abortion that advocates of individual rights should be concerned with or is it morally equivalent to the immorality of forcing others to pay for less controversial treatment such as dental surgery? Does the cultural context influence how a free-market advocate should approach this topic? While the majority of the community supports the current laws, there seem to be signs of an anti-abortion faction developing in the Liberal Party (the conservatives). I wouldn't want to have opposition to publicly-funded abortions result in any kind of ban on abortions. So should publicly funded abortions be opposed or not?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 15 March 2015. 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.

8 March 2015: Q&A on Fractional Reserve Banking, Honesty, Trust in Business, and More

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

Does fraud require deliberate deception? Are some people unworthy of the truth? How can I decide whether a business associate has crossed the line?

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

• Duration: 58:29
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (21.0 MB) or Standard MP3 File (20.1 MB)
• Tags: Business, Character, Communication, Deception, Ethics, Finance, Fraud, Government, Honesty, Independence, Justice, Law, Moral Judgment, Moral Wrongs, Relationships, Rights

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 6: Link-O-Rama
• March 9: Activism Recap
• March 9: NoodleCast #337: Fractional Reserve Banking, Honesty, Trust in Business, and More
• March 11: Galactic Voyages on a Budget?
• March 12: Preview: Sunday Radio: Philosophy, Confederate Flags, Abortion Funding, and More

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