For Tuesday’s episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, I posted a podcast on “Moral Amplifiers.” That podcast is now available for streaming or downloading.
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Podcast: 15 July 2014
Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism upholds seven major virtues as indispensable to our lives. Yet what of other qualities of character – such as ambition, courage, spontaneity, liveliness, discretion, patience, empathy, and friendliness? Are these virtues, personality traits, or something else? In this 2013 talk at ATLOSCon, I argued that such qualities are best understood as “moral amplifiers,” because their moral worth wholly depends how they’re used. I explained why people should cultivate such qualities and why they must be put into practice selectively.
Listen or Download:
- Duration: 1:02:06
- Download: Standard MP3 File (21.3 MB)
- Tags: Ambition, Aristotle, Character, Ethics, Kindness, Moral Amplifiers, Objectivism, Persistence, Personality, Virtue
Topics:
- The question
- The Objectivist virtues
- Major virtues
- Minor virtues
- Moral amplifiers
- Ambition, Kindness, Persistence
- The role of personality
- Aristotle’s virtues as moral amplifiers
Links:
- Powerpoint from the Lecture
- Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle (Ross Translation)
- The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand
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Philosophy in Action Radio focuses on the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. It broadcasts live on most Sunday mornings and many Thursday evenings over the internet. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.