Q&A Webcast Episode: 4 December 2011
In this 4 December 2011 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered four questions on the principle of sustainability, convincing kids that ewoks are real, donating sperm or eggs anonymously, revealing atheism to inquisitive strangers, 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: This week, I submitted a proposal for a talk on the follies of animal rights to the upcoming Ancestral Health Symposium in Boston in August. Ari Armstrong and I reviewed the galley proofs of our article on abortion rights for The Objective Standard. On Wednesday, Ari and I will discuss Colorado's campaign finance laws at Liberty on the Rocks in Denver.
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Segments: 4 December 2011
Question 1: The Principle of Sustainability (4:13)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on the principle of sustainability.
What's wrong with the principle of sustainability? In the discussion of "sustainable agriculture" in your October 9th webcast, you didn't explain the problem with the basic principle of the "sustainability movement," namely "that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Doesn't that just mean respecting rights? If not, what does it mean and why is it wrong?
My Answer, In Brief: The principle of sustainability must be understood in its proper ideological context of collectivism, egalitarianism, and environmentalism. Understood that way, it's clearly demanding that people not exploit finite resources for their own benefit, as they ought.
Tags: Egalitarianism, Environmentalism, Epistemology, Ethics, Libertarianism, Philosophy, Politics
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Question 2: Convincing Kids That Ewoks Are Real (18:31)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on convincing kids that ewoks are real.
Should parents convince their kids that fictional creatures, such as Ewoks, are real for the sake of fun? As recounted in Wired, a father told his kids that Ewoks from Star Wars lived in the Sequoia National Forest. On their recent family vacation, they made a game of looking for these imaginary Ewoks. Afterwards, the father photoshopped a few Ewoks into the family vacation pictures. Are these kinds of deceptions harmless or are they bad parenting? The father said: "Maybe I'm a little wrong for lying to her and falsifying the pictures, but I don't care. She'll never forget the time she spent in the big woods with Ewoks."
My Answer, In Brief: Lying to your kids, even if for fun, has pernicious consequences, including on your kids' trust in you and confidence in themselves. Instead, play a game of pretend! Everyone will have fun, without the dishonesty hangover.
Tags: Children, Ethics, Honesty, Humor, Parenting
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Question 3: Donating Sperm or Eggs Anonymously (32:11)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on donating sperm or eggs anonymously.
Is it moral to anonymously donate sperm or eggs, not knowing how the resulting children will be raised? Is the answer the same for donating fertilized embryos left over from an in vitro fertilization procedure, where the DNA is both yours and your spouse's?
My Answer, In Brief: Given that (1) DNA does not have any magic power to carry moral responsibility, (2) that sperm, eggs, and embryos are not actual persons, and (3) that most people in our culture will raise a child in a loving and decent way, it's perfectly moral to donate sperm, eggs, or embryos without knowing anything about the parents who will use them.
Tags: Children, Ethics, Parenting, Responsibility
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Question 4: Revealing Atheism to Inquisitive Strangers (48:44)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on revealing atheism to inquisitive strangers.
Should I reveal my atheism to strangers when asked? I work at a hospital. One night a patient asked me if I'm religious. I answered yes. He then asked me if I believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I answered yes. Then he took my hand and prayed for me. Immediately, I felt guilty, because I lied in answering these questions. In fact, I'm an atheist. The next day, I told the patient the truth, and he thanked me for my honesty. What should I have done in answering his original questions?
My Answer, In Brief: Honesty is a virtue, and fully applicable here. So when asked personal questions by strangers, the proper response is to either answer the question honestly or decline to answer it.
Tags: Atheism, Ethics, Honesty, Integrity, Religion
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Rapid Fire Questions (58:36)
- What do you think of Newt Gingrich for president?
- How can you read Atlas Shrugged in today's political climate and not totally freak out? I'm waiting for Obama to announce the implementation of Directive 10-289 any day now.
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Conclusion (1:04:03)
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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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