Charles Ramsey Rescues Three Women, Gives Greatest Interview in the History of Television:
He’s colorful throughout, but the end put me in stitches! (Of course, I’m so mostly glad that those three women were able to escape that monster. More details about the horrifying case are here.)
As I mentioned in this post, I’ll be speaking on the concept of “Moral Amplifiers” at ATLOSCon in less than two weeks. (Yes, you can still register… and you should too!) Here, again, is the abstract of my talk:
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? Diana Hsieh will argue that such qualities are best understood as “moral amplifiers,” because their moral worth wholly depends how they’re used. She will explain why people should cultivate such qualities and why they must be put into practice selectively.
When I introduce people to the concept of “moral amplifiers,” people often want examples thereof. (Yay!) My standard go-to examples are persistence and ambition. Everyone sees that these qualities are often beneficial, but they’re not always so. Plus, I love to use Lance Armstrong as an example of ambition gone wrong.
Interestingly, the list of moral amplifiers is really quite long — because most of the qualities that people think of as virtues are, in fact, moral amplifiers rather than virtues. Here’s the list of moral amplifiers that I created — based on lists of virtues such as this one — when preparing my proposal for ATLOSCon:
Clearly, I’m not going to run out of material in my talk! I plan to pick just a few of these to discuss, as I have some theory related to Aristotle’s and Ayn Rand’s differing conceptions of virtue that I wish to cover too. I’ll explain how Ayn Rand’s conception of virtue is really something quite distinct from traditional conceptions of virtue — and how those differences represent a major advance in thinking about ethics.
SO MUCH FUN!
On Sunday’s Philosophy in Action Radio, I answered questions on taxes versus slavery, infanticide after abortion, emergency medical care, and more with Greg Perkins. The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading. You’ll find it on the episode’s archive page, as well as below.
Remember, you can automatically download podcasts of Philosophy in Action Radio by subscribing to Philosophy in Action’s Podcast RSS Feed:
Podcast: High Taxes, Infanticide, EMTALA, and More
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Remember, with every episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, we show how rational philosophy can help you find joy in your work, model virtue for your kids, pursue your goals effectively, communicate with respect, and advocate for a free society. We can’t do that without your support, so please remember to tip your philosopher!
You can download or listen to individual questions from this episode below.
Introduction (0:00)
My News of the Week: I attended the hearing of the Colorado Supreme Court regarding the Coalition for Secular Government‘s lawsuit in federal court. The main question discussed whether a single sentence of express advocacy in our policy paper makes the whole paper a policy paper or not. I’m still working on editing the galley proofs of soon-forthcoming book, Responsibility and Luck (a.k.a. my dissertation). Of course, that’s taking longer than I’d like.
Question 1: Taxes Versus Slavery (6:51)
In this segment, I answered a question on taxes versus slavery.
Are high taxes comparable to slavery? On Facebook, some friends suggest that America is becoming more like Nazi Germany. Others share images comparing Americans workers to slaves picking cotton in the antebellum south due to our ever-higher taxes. I think these comparisons go way too far: Americans are still some of the freest people the world has ever known. No doubt, our freedom is being chipped away, but are we really like slaves?
My Answer, In Brief: Advocates of free markets discredit their cause by likening taxation to slavery. Slavery is the complete and utter violation of the rights of persons. It’s a far worse horror than taxation, with differences in kind, not just degree.
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Question 2: Infanticide After Abortion (21:28)
In this segment, I answered a question on infanticide after abortion.
Is killing a baby born after an abortion a form of murder? Kermit Gosnell is currently on trial for murder, due to accusations that he killed infants who were delivered in abortions at his clinic. If the facts are as reported, should he be convicted of murder? What should be done when a baby is born alive during an abortion? What are the likely cultural and political implications of this trial?
My Answer, In Brief: According to the testimony at the trial, Kermit Gosnell did not merely perform abortions: he killed born babies, i.e. persons with a right to life. A person who does that is guilty of murder, and he should be prosecuted and punished.
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Question 3: Emergency Medical Care (37:20)
In this segment, I answered a question on emergency medical care.
Do people have a right to emergency medical care? EMTALA (a.k.a. the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) is a federal law that requires emergency rooms to stabilize any patient with an emergency medical condition, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Is that proper? Is that the same as a right to medical care?
My Answer, In Brief: EMTALA violates the rights of doctors, based on the false premise of a “right” to health care. In practice, it’s a disaster for doctors, hospitals, and the working poor. Ultimately, only scammers and advocates of government-controlled medicine benefit by it.
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Rapid Fire Questions (59:42)
In this segment, I answered questions impromptu. The questions were:
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To comment on these questions or my answers, visit its comment thread.
Conclusion (1:06:48)
Be sure to check out my blog NoodleFood and to submit and vote on questions for upcoming episodes.
About Philosophy in Action Radio
Philosophy in Action Radio applies rational principles to the challenges of real life in live internet radio shows on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.
Remember, with every episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, we show how rational philosophy can help you find joy in your work, model virtue for your kids, pursue your goals effectively, communicate with respect, and advocate for a free society. We can’t do that without your support, so please remember to tip your philosopher!
This week on We Stand FIRM, the blog of FIRM (Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine):
This week on Politics without God, the blog of the Coalition for Secular Government:
This week on The Blog of The Objective Standard:
This week on The Blog of Modern Paleo:
Hugues Merle (French painter) 1823 – 1881
Maternal Affection, 1867
oil on canvas
39 3/4 x 32 in. (100.9 x 81.2 cm.)
signed Hugues Merle and dated 1867 (upper right)
private collection
Catalogue Note
After studying with Léon Cogniet, Hugues Merle became a regular contributor to the Salon between 1847 and 1880, up until the last year of his life, receiving medals for his entries in 1861 and 1863. His themes of maternal love found a ready audience with newly affluent art patrons in America. In fact, by 1878-9, in his Art Treasures of America, Edward Strahan could cite as many as 52 works by Merle in American collections. His reputation was equally great at home in France, where he enjoyed the patronage of the Duc de Morny and also enjoyed the support of Adolphe Goupil, the most prestigious art dealer in Paris whose other leading artists included William Bouguereau and Jean-Léon Gèrôme.
Merle was most often associated with his friend and rival, Bouguereau, not only because they depicted similar subjects but also employed a high finish and naturalistic technique. Merle was just two years older than Bouguereau, and their thematic and artistic similarities begged comparison from critics and collectors alike.
The May 7, 2013 online edition of Forbes published my latest OpEd, “Why 3D-Printed Untraceable Guns Could Be Good For America“.
Here is the opening:
In the past few days, Forbes writer Andy Greenberg broke a pair of dramatic stories on Cody Wilson’s quest to build an untraceable plastic gun using commercially available 3D-printing technology. First, Greenberg published exclusive photos of the completed firearm, then he reported on a successful test firing of a live .380 cartridge.
Although the technology is still in its infancy, Wilson’s innovation has already sparked heated debate. Some gun rights advocates (including Wilson) argue this means current gun laws will soon be obsolete. They welcome the fact that home hobbyists may soon be able to build functioning firearms without any background check or government record. Others are alarmed, concerned that this would enable criminals to more easily obtain firearms. Congressman Steve Israel has already stated his intent to modify current laws to ban such guns.
However, Congressman Israel may be too late. Once thousands of motivated hobbyists start downloading open source gun designs and posting their refinements, we’ll likely see rapid technical advances. But Cody Wilson’s real impact on America may not be technological but political — and in a good way…
(Read the full text of “Why 3D-Printed Untraceable Guns Could Be Good For America“.)
Paul and I love magic, so for our 14th anniversary last night, I took him to see the comedic magic show of Sleightly Impossible in Denver. (It was a surprise for him… and a damn good one!) Sleightly Impossible is a trio of magicians, and they do a show once per month at the Lumber Baron Inn. They’re pretty much the only magic show in Denver. (That’s really unfortunate!)
I was hoping that the show would be entertaining… and all of my expectations were wildly exceeded. The magic was excellent — particularly the mind-blowing glass and bottle trick, plus the egg and bag sleight of hand. Plus, the whole audience was in stitches of laughter pretty routinely.
The best combination of magic and humor was a variation on the “card between two panes of glass” trick — only this version used a cheese-filled banana and two wheat bread in a ziplock bag. No, really! Here it is, in progress:
As I mentioned, Sleightly Impossible puts on a show once per month in Denver. It’s just $13 per person. If you like magic, you’ll not find any better live entertainment anywhere in Denver. Also, the show is very suitable for kids, say above the age of 7. Many kids were used as assistants too. (I got to hold the lemon for the “torn $20 bill in the lemon” trick.)
My only complaint is that Paul and I were a bit slow in getting our seats, so we were about four rows back. Our view was fine, but still, the closer the better! So next time I see the show — and I’d love to go again when we have guests in town — I want to sit in the front row!
On Sunday’s Philosophy in Action Radio, Greg Perkins and I will answer questions on taxes versus slavery, infanticide after abortion, emergency medical care, poor communication from the boss, and more. This episode of internet radio airs at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 12 May 2013, in our live studio. If you miss that live broadcast, you can always listen to the podcast later.
This week’s questions are:
After that, we’ll tackle some impromptu “Rapid Fire Questions.”
To join the live broadcast and its chat, just point your browser to Philosophy in Action’s Live Studio a few minutes before the show is scheduled to start. By listening live, you can share your thoughts with other listeners and ask us follow-up questions in the text chat.
If you miss the live broadcast, you’ll find the podcast from the episode posted in the archive: Radio Archive: Q&A: Taxes, Infanticide, EMTALA, Communication, and More. It will be posted on Monday morning, if not sooner. You can automatically download that and other podcasts by subscribing to Philosophy in Action’s Podcast RSS Feed:
I hope you join us on Sunday morning… and please share this announcement with any friends interested in these topics!
Philosophy in Action Radio applies rational principles to the challenges of real life in live internet radio shows on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.
