In the next episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh will answer questions on the value of studying personality, the golden rule, yelling at employees, atheism as religion, and more. The live broadcast and chat starts promptly at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET on Sunday, 3 February 2013. If you miss the live broadcast, be sure to listen to the podcast.

Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 11 March 2012

In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 11 March 2012, I answered questions on Ayn Rand's view of women, the proper place of women, the health of cynicism and sarcasm, offers of prayers for atheists, and more. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host.

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My News of the Week: My "Think!" lecture on moral perfection went quite well! Next week, I'll be busy with SnowCon 2012!

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  • Duration: 1:19:23

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Segments: 11 March 2012


Question 1: Ayn Rand's View of Women (3:23)

Question: Did Ayn Rand regard women as inferior to men? I admire Ayn Rand, and I've used her philosophy in my business and personal life, but I disagree with her view of women. In her article "About a Woman President," Ayn Rand said that "For a woman qua woman, the essence of femininity is hero-worship – the desire to look up to man. 'To look up' does not mean dependence, obedience or anything implying inferiority." Yet her view seems to imply inferiority in practice: Rand says that no woman should aspire to be U.S. President because that would put her in the psychologically unbearable position of not having any man to look up to. So, does Rand's view imply that women are inferior to men? What is the factual basis of her view, if any? Do you agree with her?

Answer, In Brief: Ayn Rand's arguments against a woman president are puzzling and wrong, but they're no reason to think that she regarded women as inferior to men.

Tags: Ayn Rand, Career, Ethics, Gender, Government, Independence, Objectivism, Psychology, Rationality, Sex

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Question 2: The Proper Place of Women (24:39)

Question: Are women subservient to men in Objectivism like in Christianity? The Bible and Christians teach that God made women to be subservient to men and not to be their leader. Ayn Rand seems to think that women are naturally subservient to men and should not be their leader. Aside from the appeal to God, what's the difference?

Answer, In Brief: Ayn Rand's views on sexual psychology, even if wrong, are not merely asserted without reason, as in Christianity, but rather are based on biological facts.

Tags: Ayn Rand, Christianity, Ethics, Gender, Masculinity/Femininity, Objectivism, Psychology, Religion, Sex

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Question 3: The Health of Cynicism and Sarcasm (45:16)

Question: Are cynicism and sarcasm unhealthy? I know some very bright people who also frequently express cynicism and sarcasm towards world events, public figures, etc. Their remarks can often be quite witty and insightful. But is there something unhealthy about looking at the world in this way, or can that be an appropriate response to all the many real negative facts of reality?

Answer, In Brief: Sarcasm is morally neutral as a form of humor, but cynicism is psychologically unhealthy and philosophically wrong.

Tags: Benevolence, Benevolent Universe Premise, Communication, Humor, Malevolent Universe Premise, Philosophy, Psychology, Relationships

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Question 4: Offers of Prayers for Atheists (59:13)

Question: What should I do when other people offer to pray for me? Sometimes my friends and family members offer to pray for me – whether because I've got some problem in my life or because they know that I'm an atheist. How should I respond?

Answer, In Brief: You should tailor your response to the context, but in most cases, you should be clear, firm, and kind in refusing the prayers of others.

Tags: Atheism, Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Family, Friendship, Honesty, Integrity, Relationships, Religion

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Rapid Fire Questions (1:13:22)

In this segment, I answered random questions chosen by Greg Perkins impromptu. The questions were:
  • Do Ayn Rand's views on homosexuality constitute an error of morality? If so, are there any implications as to her moral perfection?
  • Ayn Rand called her philosophy Objectivism, does that mean that every philosopher's ideas should have a name and a set of authorized texts? Should your philosophy have its own name?

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Conclusion (1:18:03)

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio! If you enjoyed this episode, please contribute to contribute to our tip jar.


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Remember, Philosophy in Action Radio is available to anyone, free of charge. That's because our goal is to spread rational principles for real life far and wide, as we do every week to thousands of listeners. We love producing every episode, but each requires requires our time, effort, and money – week in and week out. So if you enjoy and value our work, please contribute to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. You can send your contribution via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail.

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About Philosophy in Action Radio

I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."

My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.

If you join us for the live broadcasts, you can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat. Otherwise, you can listen to the podcast by subscribing to our Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the show archives, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.

For regular updates, commentary, and humor, read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and connect on social media too.

I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].

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