Q&A Webcast Episode: 21 November 2010
In this 21 November 2010 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered six questions on conflicts over diet, completing creative work, hitting kids in public, non-renumerative work as productive, finding a central purpose, ethics of public relations, and more in an hour-long broadcast. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was the audio co-host.
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- Duration: 59:17
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Segments: 21 November 2010
Question 1: Conflicts over Diet (9:09)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on conflicts over diet.
I have a friend who is pretty hardcore paleo and is often very critical of other people's diets. Food is really important to her and I don't think she means to sound so disparaging. How do I kindly tell her to butt out of mine and my friends' eating habits?
Tags: Health, Nutrition, Paleo, Relationships
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Question 2: Completing Creative Work (19:23)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on completing creative work.
A piece of creative work can be polished forever yet still be far from perfect. Besides, there comes a point where it needs to be brought to completion and made available to its recipients, if there are any, to use and enjoy. How does one make the judgment call as to when that point is reached? I hope to go beyond the ranking of values ("How important is this to me, and have I devoted enough time and effort to it already?") and discuss considerations such as: telling whether I'm still adding to the value of the piece, maintaining a clear view of which details are important, keeping the scope of the piece within reasonable bounds without oversimplifying it, and not letting my feelings about the piece interfere with my judgment of its quality.
Tags: Perfectionism, Productivity, Work
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Question 3: Hitting Kids in Public (24:36)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on hitting kids in public.
What (if any) is the appropriate response to a parent hitting his or her child in public? Generally, I remove my own children as quickly as I can so they don't have to witness it, and have shot my share of shocked and disgusted looks toward the parents in question. (For the record, I'm opposed to physical punishment of children, but I even know parents who do spank who are similarly shocked and uncomfortable when others do this in public.)
Tags: Children, Ethics, Parenting, Rights, Violence
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Question 4: Non-Renumerative Work as Productive (34:32)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on non-renumerative work as productive.
Ought non-income generating activities such as child rearing, dancing, making friends, etc., be properly considered an exercise of the Objectivist virtue of productivity? In response to my question in an OAC class, Dr. Ghate stated that he interprets Rand's writings to mean that such activities, while rational, ought not be considered "productive" by her definition of the term. Upon further research, I agree with Ghate's interpretation of Rand, but I think I disagree with Rand here. Is it not unusual that someone who chooses motherhood as a career, for instance, is disqualified from practicing the virtue of productivity (assuming she does no other work for pay)? None of the other virtues exclude any rationally acting adult from practicing them. If productivity need to be redefined, would you have an alternate definition to suggest?
Tags: Career, Finances, Productiveness, Purpose, Work
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Question 5: Finding a Central Purpose (43:58)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on finding a central purpose.
I've been thinking about my central purpose in life (CPL) quite a bit lately. A common thread in my current and former passions is art, and I used to love drawing with pencil and coloring with oil pastels. This week I purchased some inexpensive art supplies and I've been experimenting. It's made me feel pretty darn happy. My hesitation with this though is not subsiding. I don't want to be a starving artist and I can't imagine giving up my career in financial planning, which leaves me with little time for art. Can you perform your CPL "on the side" in your spare time and still feel fulfilled, or must it be what you do full-time? For what it's worth, I eventually want to have a child and home-school, which I think will be tremendously fulfilling. Can my CPL be more than one thing? Do you have any recommendations for further reading on CPL?
Tags: Career, Central Purpose, Purpose, Work
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Question 6: Ethics of Public Relations (53:07)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on ethics of public relations.
Would it be ethical for a public relations practitioner to work for a client whose activities, while legal, potentially damage others--e.g., defend cigarette/alcohol companies, or fast food producers, or asbestos manufacturers?
Tags: Business, Career, Ethics, Honesty, Integrity, Justice
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Conclusion (58:19)
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About Philosophy in Action Q&A Webcast
Every Sunday morning, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh answers four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in her live hour-long internet radio show, Philosophy in Action Advice Radio. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. The audience can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat.
You can listen to Philosophy in Action broadcasts as podcasts by subscribing to the Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feeds. Be sure to sign up for the Newsletter and connect on social media.
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For regular updates, commentary, and humor from Dr. Diana Hsieh, visit her blog NoodleFood, and subscribe to its rss feed.
Dr. Diana Hsieh is a philosopher specializing in practical ethics. She received her Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. Her dissertation argued that Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck" can be resolved by an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility. She began podcasting in 2009, then webcasting in 2010.
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