Friends and Fans — I have retired from my work as a public intellectual, so Philosophy in Action is on indefinite hiatus. Please check out the voluminous archive of free podcasts, as well as the premium audio content still available for sale. My two books — Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame and Explore Atlas Shrugged — are available for purchase too. Best wishes! — Diana Brickell (Hsieh)

Ambition, Lacking Friends, Absent Fathers, and More

Q&A Radio: 27 April 2014

I answered questions on ambition as a virtue, happiness without close friends, refusing involvement in a biological child's life, and more on 27 April 2014. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host. Listen to or download this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio below.

The mission of Philosophy in Action is to spread rational principles for real life... far and wide. That's why the vast majority of my work is available to anyone, free of charge. I love doing the radio show, but each episode requires an investment of time, effort, and money to produce. So if you enjoy and value that work of mine, please contribute to the tip jar. I suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. In return, contributors can request that I answer questions from the queue pronto, and regular contributors enjoy free access to premium content and other goodies.

My News of the Week: I've finalized and posted the questions for Explore Atlas Shrugged, and now I turn to making print-on-demand and ebook versions. At 4 am this morning, I watched Martha Deeds' mare Peekies give birth to a handsome colt! That was exciting!


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Segments: 27 April 2014


Question 1: Ambition as a Virtue

Question: Is ambition a virtue? Ayn Rand defined ambition as "the systematic pursuit of achievement and of constant improvement in respect to one's goal." If we apply ambition only to rational goals – as happens with the virtue of integrity, where loyalty to values only constitutes integrity if those values are rational – then could ambition be considered a virtue? Or at least, could ambition be an aspect of a virtue like productiveness?

Answer, In Brief: Ambition is not a virtue: it doesn't share the core qualities of the virtues. However, ambition is morally significant: it's a moral amplifier. So ambition is a quality of character that makes a good person better and a bad person worse. It's a quality that you should cultivate in yourself – and then deploy selectively, based on the context.

Tags: Ambition, Character, Ethics, Goals, Integrity, Moral Amplifiers, Productiveness, Virtue

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Question 2: Happiness without Close Friends

Question: How can I maintain my sense of self when surrounded by people I don't relate to deeply? At places like work I have trouble relating to my coworkers on a significantly deep level. For the most part, we just don't share the deepest or most important aspects of life, such as a genuine interests in ideas, various nuances of the culinary arts, and so on. However, I enjoy interacting with these people, but I'm not likely to engage in frequent outings and whatnot. Yet, in other aspects of life – for the time – I don't have the ability to deal with people I share a "like soul" with, to use Aristotelian terms. Thus, how can I truthfully express my personality and values while maintaining, or even deepening, my friendship with these people? I feel like I'm "faking" myself too often.

Answer, In Brief: Intimate friends are often few and far between, but you can manage and arrange your life to give yourself a greater chance to find such people. Appreciate and cultivate your lesser friends, expand your social network, develop yourself without compromise or concealment, and don't give up!

Tags: Ethics, Friendship, Honesty, Personality, Psychology, Relationships, Romance, Values

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Question 3: Refusing Involvement in a Biological Child's Life

Question: It is wrong to refuse any involvement in my biological child's life? Some years back I had a contraceptive malfunction, and a child was conceived as a result. I offered to pay for an abortion but the woman refused. The child was born, and the mother and child moved away. I voluntarily pay child support, but I have no desire to be part of the child's life. I never wanted to be a father nor do I want to now. Am I right – morally and legally – to take this stance?

Answer, In Brief: A man doesn't have any moral obligation to play the role of a father to a child, simply because he contributed his sperm. Being a parent is a very serious obligation, and it should not be undertaken lightly by either men or women.

Tags: Abortion, Children, Child Support, Duty Ethics, Ethics, Fatherhood, Free Society, Law, Obligation, Parenting, Responsibility, Rights

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Rapid Fire Questions (52:42)

In this segment, I answered questions chosen at random by Greg Perkins impromptu. The questions were:
  • Are all people really created equal?
  • What is your opinion of camp as an aesthetic style? Is it in any way nihilistic?
  • Wouldn't the principles (or maxim) of ones action's be universally applicable according to Objectivism - just as for Kantian ethics?
  • Sometimes when people talk openly about sex or their sex life, I just think 'Eeek! How tasteless and vulgar. Keep it to yourself!' Am I too prudish?
  • What does it really mean to be a 'nice person'? Can someone be too nice?

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Conclusion (1:04:56)

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About Philosophy in Action

I'm Dr. Diana Brickell. I'm a philosopher specializing in 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 book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."

My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on most Sunday mornings and some Thursday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer 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 Thursday evenings, I interview an expert guest or discuss a topic of interest.

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