Q&A Webcast Episode: 11 September 2011
In this 11 September 2011 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered four questions on activism as a moral imperative, the morality of extreme couponing, sexting as cheating, gifting valuable memorabilia to the team, and more in an hour-long broadcast. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was the audio co-host.
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My News of the Week: Mostly, I've been tending to Dr. Gimpy! Also, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I recommend John Lewis' new essay: 9/11 Ten Years Later: The Fruits of the Philosophy of Self-Abnegation.
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Segments: 11 September 2011
Question 1: Activism as a Moral Imperative (4:51)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on activism as a moral imperative.
Should every person engage in some kind of political or cultural activism? Given the current abysmal state of the culture, might a moral person choose to live his own life based on rational principles, without advocating those principles? Is it moral to overlook the ever-increasing rights-violations by our government, rather than speaking out? Is it enough to offer moral support and/or financial support to other activists?
My Answer, In Brief: A person should not engage in activism as a grim moral duty, but rather as an expression and defense of his own values.
Tags: Activism, Culture, Ethics, Politics
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Question 2: The Morality of Extreme Couponing (22:05)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on the morality of extreme couponing.
Is "extreme couponing" moral? Earlier this year, the Boston Globe wrote about people who engage in "extreme couponing." Basically, they find ways to redeem store coupons in a fashion that still abides by the rules, but they get free stuff out of the deal. Are these people moral, or are they parasites because they don't actually live by trading value for value? Are they violating rights?
My Answer, In Brief: There's nothing immoral about seeking out great savings as a consumer, provided that you're honest and the sale is voluntary.
Tags: Business, Ethics, Finances, Law
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Question 3: Sexting as Cheating (31:05)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on sexting as cheating.
Is sexting a form of cheating? If you are married or in a committed relationship and you send sexually explicit texts or emails to another person, is that cheating?
My Answer, In Brief: Sexting is cheating – and it ought to be regarded as a major warning and offense in a relationship.
Tags: Honesty, Infidelity, Integrity, Internet, Romance, Sex
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Question 4: Gifting Valuable Memorabilia to the Team (37:49)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on gifting valuable memorabilia to the team.
Is it dumb to return a valuable home run baseball to the team? When NY Yankees star Derek Jeter hit a home run for his 3000th hit, the fan in the stands Christian Lopez who caught the ball returned it to the Yankees, even though he was legally entitled to keep it. Some experts estimate it could have been sold on eBay for up to $250,000. The Yankees did give him some season tickets and team memorabilia but nowhere near as valuable. (In fact, he may have to pay thousands of dollars of taxes for those gifts he received from the Yankees.) Some people praised Mr. Lopez for doing the "right thing." Other said he was foolish for giving up something valuable that could have, say, paid for his kids' college or been used for other important life goals. Was he moral or immoral for returning the baseball with no expectation of reward.
My Answer, In Brief: A person in possession of such a windfall should think carefully about how to use it to serve his best interests. For this person to give the ball to the Yankees was probably a major sacrifice.
Tags: Business, Egoism, Ethics, Integrity, Property, Sports
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Rapid Fire Questions (47:33)
- Should a person give back money found in a newly-purchased house if the heirs sold the house because the owner was senile, but he's still living?
- Should organ donation be opt-in or opt-out?
- What does it mean to say that the interests of rational people don't conflict?
- When and why would an egoist help the poor?
- If everyone was an egoist, would anyone be a soldier, policeman, or firefighter?
- Doesn't parenting require self-sacrifice for the sake of the children?
- Don't most seemingly altruistic acts have some core of self-interest, even if only the pleasure of doing the act itself?
- Didn't selfishness and greed cause the financial crisis?
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Conclusion (1:00:27)
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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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