On Sunday, I hosted another live Rationally Selfish Webcast where I answered people’s questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well. The live webcasts are held every Sunday at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. The webcast consists of me broadcasting on video, Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers on audio, and the audience in a text chat.

As usual, an audio recording of Sunday’s live webcast is now available as a NoodleCast podcast. To get these podcasts automatically, you can subscribe to the feed in iTunes — just choose either the enhanced M4A format or the standard MP3 format. They’re the same content, but the M4A format breaks each question into its own “chapter.”

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The Podcast

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Duration: 1:07:53

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In This Episode

The following segments are marked as chapters in the M4A version of the podcast. Thanks to Tammy Perkins for helping compile the show notes!

Introduction (0:00)

• April 13th Webcast on “Cultivating Moral Character” for the SnowCon 2011 Webcast
• The pledge-funded update to Explore Atlas Shrugged

Question 1: Morality and God (6:12)

Does morality require God? Many devoutly religious people claim that morality requires God. They say that without a supernatural lawgiver, anything would be morally permissible. Is that right? Are relativism or subjectivism the only alternatives to religious morality?

My Answer, In Brief: Morality can and ought to be based on facts about man’s nature and the nature of the universe. A morality dependent on God is subjective — and ultimately, just another form of relativism.

Links:

• Loving Life by Craig Biddle: Chapter 1 on “Religion Versus Subjectivism” is available for free as a PDF.

Question 2: Ideological Conflicts in Romance (21:15)

How should a person deal with ideological conflicts with a spouse? In particular, if a person discovers and embraces Objectivism while already in a serious relationship (perhaps marriage) with a non-Objectivist, what’s the best way to deal with conflicts that arise due to divergent principles?

My Answer, In Brief: Provided that the gap can be bridged, each person must be wholly honest with the other, while giving the other space to pursue his/her own values.

Links:

• NoodleCast #18: Romantic Relationships
• “The Anatomy of Compromise” by Ayn Rand from Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal

Question 3: Obligations to Parents (31:41)

Is it my responsibility to look after my parents in their old age? Should I expect to support my parents financially and/or care for them as they get older? More generally, what responsibilities do adult children have towards their parents, if any?

My Answer, In Brief: An adult child has no duty to sacrifice himself for his parents, but he ought to assist them in proportion to his capacity and their value to him.

Question 4: Pressure to Procreate (41:18)

What do you say to parents pressuring you to have kids? Lately, my parents have been urging my wife and me to have kids. They really want grandkids, I think. So they’ve been dropping not-so-subtle hints to that effect. Also, they say that I’ll regret not having kids, that kids are just part of being an adult, that I’ll adore my own kids once I have them, and so on. What should I say in reply to those kinds of hints and comments?

My Answer, In Brief: As with other personal decisions, you must establish and maintain your boundaries. Don’t be wishy-washy, don’t engage in repeated or prolonged discussions. Treat the question — in your own mind and in any discussions about it — as your own personal decision.

Question 5: Progress in Objectivism (48:29)

What were Ayn Rand’s shortcomings in her understanding and/or practice of Objectivism? After having listened to a number of Rationally Selfish Webcast episodes, some passing statements make it sound like Ayn Rand had a complete understanding and perfect execution of Objectivism. I’m attracted to Objectivism as a rational approach to morality and philosophy but bothered by how untouchable Ayn Rand appears to be. To compare, Isaac Newton did wonders for the world of physics, but if we hadn’t evolved his theories, our world would be far less advanced. Maybe a better question would be: What progress in understanding has been made by Objectivists since Ayn Rand’s death?

My Answer, In Brief: Objectivism is Ayn Rand’s philosophy. It’s a system of fundamental principles, not everything she said or believed. It’s not equivalent to all philosophy, let alone all truth. The wonderful new work done by Objectivists scholars and intellectuals in recent years should be credited to them, not wrongly claimed to be part of Objectivism.

Links:

• Ayn Rand on David Kelley and The Open System, One More Time by Diana Hsieh

Question 6: Objectivist Answers: Kids and Religion (1:01:00)

Should atheistic parents encourage their children to explore religion? Why or why not? And if so, how?

My Answer, In Brief: Kids should learn about religion, as a cultural and historical force. Parents should not dogmatize against religion, although parents should openly explain their own views when asked.

Conclusion (1:07:05)

Bye!

Contact Us

• Diana Hsieh: NoodleFood: diana@rationallyselfish.com
• Greg Perkins: Objectivist Answers: greg@rationallyselfish.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to contribute to our tip jar! Also, remember to submit and vote on questions in the the ongoing question queue!