In the next episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh will answer questions on the value of studying personality, the golden rule, yelling at employees, atheism as religion, and more. The live broadcast and chat starts promptly at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET on Sunday, 3 February 2013. If you miss the live broadcast, be sure to listen to the podcast.

Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 23 January 2011

In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 23 January 2011, I answered questions on honesty about cheating, pursuing someone already attached, children as an optional value, the morality of abortion, the value of a PhD, discrimination and rights, and more. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host.

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Segments: 23 January 2011


Question 1: Honesty about Cheating (4:21)

Question: If a woman, for example, has cheated on her husband, should she always tell him afterward? So if a woman cheats on her husband, then regrets doing so, and decides to re-commit herself to the marriage. Should she tell her husband about that infidelity? What if the cheating was a short fling rather than a serious affair? What if the revelation would seriously damage or even destroy the marriage?

Answer, In Brief: Whatever the consequences for the marriage, for the cheater to fail to tell the spouse is a major fraud.

Tags: Honesty, Infidelity, Marriage, Relationships, Romance

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Question 2: Pursuing Someone Already Attached (17:50)

Question: Is it moral and/or wise to pursue someone else's "significant other"? In particular: (1) Is it immoral to try to pursue or court another person's committed romantic partner? (2) Would a rational woman want to be with a man, for example, who abandoned an existing relationship to be with with her? Also: (3) And if pursuing an already-attached person can be moral, do you have any advice about succeeding?

Answer, In Brief: Unless a person is married, he/she is still properly considered on the market, to some extent. But... beware the cheater.

Tags: Dating, Ethics, Relationships, Romance

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Question 3: Children as an Optional Value (25:57)

Question: Why are children only an 'optional value'? What does it mean to say that children are an "optional" value? Does that mean that every person should regard them as optional in his/her life – or something else? Also, given that life is the standard of value and the none of us would exist without reproduction, don't we have a moral obligation to bear and raise the next generation?

Answer, In Brief: Children are a fantastic value to many people, but not necessary for a flourishing life.

Tags: Children, Ethics, Parenting, Personal Values

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Question 4: The Morality of Abortion (37:55)

Question: When is abortion morally right or wrong? Is abortion only proper in "extreme" cases like risk to life or health of the mother, rape or incest, or serious fetal deformity? Is terminating a healthy but unwanted pregnancy morally wrong? Is it an evasion of responsibility for the known consequences of one's actions?

Answer, In Brief: A choice as important as whether to raise a child should not be determined by the biological accident of conception.

Tags: Abortion, Children, Ethics, Parenting, Pregnancy

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Question 5: The Value of a PhD (48:33)

Question: Given your comments in a prior webcast about the pointlessness of much of modern college education, why did you get a PhD in philosophy? More generally, do you think that a Ph.D can be of value?

Answer, In Brief: The value of a Ph.D depends on a person's particular circumstances... but do think twice before doing that!

Tags: Education

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Question 6: Discrimination and Rights (53:39)

Question: In the essay "Racism" in The Virtue of Selfishness, Ayn Rand mentions that public institutions and government agencies should not discriminate against or on behalf of individuals. In her talk of private property, however, she says that government should not attempt to prevent private racism in private establishments and that a man's rights are not violated by a private individual's refusal to deal with him. My question is: How are his rights not violated if the owner discriminates against him?

Answer, In Brief: A person's rights are not violated because someone else doesn't want anything to do with him – even if his reasons are vicious.

Tags: Business, Discrimination, Gender, Justice, Law, Property, Race

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Conclusion (59:09)

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Remember, Philosophy in Action Radio is available to anyone, free of charge. That's because our goal is to spread rational principles for real life far and wide, as we do every week to thousands of listeners. We love producing every episode, but each requires requires our time, effort, and money – week in and week out. So if you enjoy and value our work, please contribute to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. You can send your contribution via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail.

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About Philosophy in Action Radio

I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."

My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.

If you join us for the live broadcasts, you can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat. Otherwise, you can listen to the podcast by subscribing to our Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the show archives, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.

For regular updates, commentary, and humor, read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and connect on social media too.

I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].

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