Q&A Webcast Episode: 17 April 2011
In this 17 April 2011 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered six questions on review of the movie atlas shrugged, part 1, the morality of free riding, browsing without buying, age in romance, responsibility for siblings, desires and determinism, and more in an hour-long broadcast. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was the audio co-host.
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Segments: 17 April 2011
Question 1: Review of the Movie Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 (2:54)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on review of the movie atlas shrugged, part 1.
What did you think of the movie Atlas Shrugged, Part 1?
My Answer, In Brief: The movie was a C+. The basic story and characters were left intact, yet it suffered from a range of defects as a drama, some quite serious. The take-home message is simple: read the book!
Tags: Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Film
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Question 2: The Morality of Free Riding (22:32)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on the morality of free riding.
Is it morally wrong to be a free rider? Some people say that it's wrong to be a free rider – for example, by sneaking into a movie without paying for it, using a gas station bathroom without buying anything, accepting a ride to the airport but refusing to return the favor, hiking on trails in your community without helping to maintain them, or enjoying the Christmas lights of your neighbors without putting up your own. In such cases, you seem to be enjoying a benefit from someone else that you've not paid for or earned. Isn't that unjust, and hence, morally wrong?
My Answer, In Brief: The term "free rider" is a massive package-deal. Any action ought to serve your long-term rational self-interest: you must act virtuously and respect the rights of others. Within that framework, the myriad benefits available to you from living in society ought to be accepted and enjoyed.
Tags: Business, Economics, Ethics, Honesty, Justice
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Question 3: Browsing Without Buying (33:38)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on browsing without buying.
Is it immoral to browse a store with no intention of buying there? Is it immoral to take advantage of the freedom to look through books in a bookstore, or to try out a laptop in a shop, with no intention to actually buying it in that shop? For instance, you check out a book in the shop to decide whether you want to buy it, knowing that if you buy it, you'll do so from Amazon instead. Is that wrong?
My Answer, In Brief: Local merchants must compete with online sellers, and customers ought feign an interest to those merchants if unwilling to give them a chance to compete.
Tags: Business, Competition, Ethics, Fraud, Honesty, Internet
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Question 4: Age in Romance (39:05)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on age in romance.
Should age matter in romance? Is it in your rational best interest to date someone who is significantly older or younger than you? Assuming that both individuals are mature, is there anything wrong with an 18 year old dating someone who is 38? Or a 40 year old dating someone who is 60? Or a 70 year old dating someone in their 20s? Does age matter?
My Answer, In Brief: Age can matter in romance, because people in different life-stages might not be able to integrate their lives into a happy unity. Hence, a couple would need to discuss and agree on how to deal with the difficulties created by the age gap for the relationship to last.
Tags: Marriage, Relationships, Romance
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Question 5: Responsibility for Siblings (45:26)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on responsibility for siblings.
Do I have any responsibility towards my younger brother? My parents constantly ask me to help my brother with his studies, homework, etc, and look after him when they're out and do things for him at the expense of my own studies and time. But I don't find any value in helping my brother. Should I refuse to help my parents in this way?
My Answer, In Brief: You are not your brother's keeper! However, while under your parents' roof, your option are limited. Speak to them: calmly express how you feel unfairly burdened by your younger brother, then seek a mutually satisfactory arrangement, such as agreeing to watch him for a certain number of hours per week, payment for watching him, etc.
Tags: Ethics, Family, Parenting, Responsibility, Siblings
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Question 6: Desires and Determinism (51:32)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on desires and determinism.
How do you validate free will? For example, if a man is hungry and he values his life, then wouldn't his eating be predetermined?
My Answer, In Brief: Free will is validated by introspection, including your power to act against bodily appetites like hunger. The question confuses the final causation involved in motivated action with the efficient causation of determined action.
Tags: Emotions, Free Will, Introspection, Metaphysics, Philosophy
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Conclusion (57:21)
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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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