Q&A Webcast Episode: 25 September 2011
In this 25 September 2011 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered four questions on appropriate contexts for nudity, public nudity and rights, regretting time spent at work, addressing problems with neighbors, 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: Like last week, I've been tending to Paul and programming the new web site for this webcast. Also, I created a Facebook page for Ayn Rand Fans for Gary Johnson.
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Segments: 25 September 2011
Question 1: Appropriate Contexts for Nudity (3:38)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on appropriate contexts for nudity.
What's the proper approach to nudity? Should we all be nude all the time? Should nudity be saved for your lover only? Should children see their parents naked? Should we have clothing-optional get-togethers with friends? Basically, what is your view of the proper contexts for nudity?
My Answer, In Brief: A wide range of reasonable approaches to nudity with others are possible. However, be careful (1) not to sexualize non-sexual relationships, (2) to be polite to others, and (3) not to be motivated by bad ideology.
Tags: Ethics, Etiquette, Family, Nudity, Parenting, Rights, Sex
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Question 2: Public Nudity and Rights (23:12)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on public nudity and rights.
Do restrictions on nudity and sex visible to others violate rights? While having a zestful online debate, someone claimed that Ayn Rand contradicts herself in claiming that public nudity should be censored. (See "Thought Control" in The Ayn Rand Letter.) Since sex is a beautiful act, why should people be protected from it? Could a ban on visible pornography or sex be a slippery slope to other intrusions by government?
My Answer, In Brief: In a free society, nuisances would only pertain to their perceptual forms, not their conceptual content. Hence, sexual displays could not be banned for being sexual, even if offensive to some.
Tags: Ethics, Etiquette, Free Speech, Law, Nudity, Pornography, Rights, Sex
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Question 3: Regretting Time Spent at Work (39:56)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on regretting time spent at work.
At death, should a person regret all the years spent at work? I often hear the saying, "No one ever laid on their death bed wishing they had spent more time in the office." What should a person think of that – and of the fact that so many people agree with it – in light of the virtue of productiveness?
My Answer, In Brief: What should attitude toward work at end of life? It should be, "My work was meaningful. It made life interesting. It sustained me. It was worthy purpose." If that's not going to be your view, then make changes now!
Tags: Career, Death, Emotions, Productiveness, Work
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Question 4: Addressing Problems with Neighbors (46:18)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on addressing problems with neighbors.
How do I ask my neighbor not to take liberties with my driveway? I work out of my office on the ground floor of our home overlooking the street with partial view of our driveway. Every day, several times a day, a neighbor uses our driveway as a turnaround instead of using the intersection one house down, or her own driveway. My big problem with this is that she is using our private property for public use. I also find this distracting when I'm working as every time she pulls into the driveway I think someone is visiting. I'm having a difficult time deciding how to approach this as I want to remain friendly with my neighbor, and don't want to come off as an unbearable jerk for just asking her not to use my property. How would you approach this situation?
My Answer, In Brief: Talk to your neighbors in a clear, calm, and friendly way about the problem, and if that fails, implement for Plan B.
Tags: Neighbors, Property, Relationships, Rights
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Rapid Fire Questions (54:10)
- Would Roark have compromised his work if he had a family that could not be provided for by working in the quarry?
- Should a person always want to live an extra 20, 50, or 100 years, assuming good health?
- What do you think of the nudists' claim that semi-public nudity is an effective way to eliminate a negative body-image (as in the case of religious indoctrination)?
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Conclusion (1:01:10)
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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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