Q&A Webcast Episode: 7 August 2011
In this 7 August 2011 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered four questions on introspection, jk rowling's welfare payments, ignoring current news and politics, meeting estranged former friends, and more in an hour-long broadcast. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was the audio co-host.
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Segments: 7 August 2011
Question 1: Introspection (3:48)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on introspection.
What is introspection? Why should a person introspect? What should a person introspect about – or not? How can a person introspect effectively?
My Answer, In Brief: Introspection is indispensable to life: without it, you're driven to speak and act based on who-know-what from the dark depths of your mind. Also, nothing is off-limits to introspection.
Tags: Emotions, Ethics, Introspection, Psycho-Epistemology, Psychology
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Question 2: JK Rowling's Welfare Payments (23:25)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on jk rowling's welfare payments.
Should JK Rowling repay the British government for welfare payments made to her? She famously wrote the first Harry Potter novel while "on the dole." She has been fabulously successful since then, but she likely could not have written that first book without state support. Should she now pay back all the government welfare paid to her during that period?
My Answer, In Brief: JK Rowling has has no obligation to repay the welfare payments made to her, because already repaid them millions of times over. The same is true for any now-productive person formerly on welfare.
Tags: Ethics, Government, Justice, Literature, Statism, Taxes, Welfare
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Question 3: Ignoring Current News and Politics (29:16)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on ignoring current news and politics.
Is it wrong to not keep up with current news and politics? Every time I open a newspaper's website I feel overwhelmed by all the crap going on in the world and disheartened by the bad politics. It feels like a soul-draining activity and a waste of time. I feel better not reading the news, but I also feel a tad guilty for not being aware of the pending laws and current events that affect me. So should I try to keep up with the news more or not?
My Answer, In Brief: A person should only keep tabs on the political news if doing so serves some purpose for him, such as furthering political activism. While very person ought to promote his values in the culture in some way, as a matter of self-interest, not every person should be a political activist.
Tags: Activism, Culture, Ethics, Politics
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Question 4: Meeting Estranged Former Friends (38:02)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on meeting estranged former friends.
What should you do when you meet someone who treated you badly in the past? Recently, I ran into a person at an event who I used to know as a fellow member of a local discussion group. When he left the group about a year ago, he posted a long rambling e-mail to our mailing list condemning us for all kinds of imaginary sins. The letter was unfair and rude – not to mention wholly unnecessary. I avoided talking to him when I saw him recently, but I wish I'd said something pointed to him. What, if anything, should I have said?
My Answer, In Brief: In general, you should avoid the person as much as possible, but if you must speak, be chilly and cool.
Tags: Ethics, Judgment, Justice, Moral Wrongs, Relationships
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Rapid Fire Questions (45:14)
- Why did you say in answer to a prior Rapid Fire Question that Richard Dawkins dedicated his career to finding a biological basis for altruism?
- Might someone who strongly prefers one racial type over another for dating be a racist?
- Shouldn't egoists want want others to be altruists?
- What would stop an egoist from selling his children into slavery, if paid enough?
- What would stop an egoist from kill others over tiny slights and offenses?
- How should you respond when someone attempts to guilt you into sacrificing yourself for a group that you're involved in?
- How should you respond when someone looks down on you for your virtues, e.g. atheism, justice, honesty, etc?
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Conclusion (1:01:53)
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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.
You can also peruse the show archives, listening to whole episodes or just selected segments. The show archives are sorted by date and by topic.
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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