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| Posted: 13 Jan 2011 05:03 PM PST Rational Jenn hosted this week's Objectivist Roundup. Go check it out! Also, I'll be selecting the questions to answer on my next Rationally Selfish Webcast tomorrow, so please take a peek and vote on those that you'd most like me to answer.  |
| NoodleCast #52: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:51 PM PST On Sunday, Greg Perkins and I hosted another live Rationally Selfish Webcast where I answered people's questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well. This week, we were really live, as Paul and I were visiting Greg and his wife Tammy. They live in Boise, and we broadcast together in person from Sun Valley, where we were skiing and snowshoeing. So the webcast was even more fun than usual! The live webcasts are held every Sunday at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. They consist of me broadcasting on video, Greg on audio, and the audience in a text chat. They're quite a bit of fun, so please join us when your schedule permits! 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." Whether you watch the live webcast or listen to the recorded podcast, you can submit and vote on questions on the widget on the page for the Rationally Selfish Webcast -- or via Idea Informer. Questions and votes are much appreciated! The Rationally Selfish Webcast (and Podcast) is available to anyone, free of charge. If you find value in it, I ask that you support our work by periodically contributing to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode, but any amount is appreciated. If you would prefer to send a check, please send it to "Diana Hsieh; P.O. Box 851; Sedalia, CO 80135." Please write "RS Webcast" in the memo field. If you're unable to contribute financially, we'd appreciate your helping us spread the word about this webcast to anyone you think might be interested. You can, for example, "like" the Rationally Selfish Webcast Page on Facebook. Webcast Segments These segments are marked as chapters in the M4A version of this podcast. Any included links are those referenced in the podcast. (Many thanks to Tammy Perkins for helping me compile these notes!) Introduction (0:00) Diana Hsieh: DianaHsieh.com: diana@dianahsieh.com Greg Perkins: Objectivist Answers: greg@eCosmos.com Don't forget to submit and vote on questions for upcoming webcasts! Question 1: Women Versus Nice Men (3:33) Why do you think most women typically have disdain for men who are 'too nice'? Money Point: The distinction between nice or not is not a fundamental character trait. It's largely a matter of style, highly dependent on moral character. If a person is a rational egoist, then he can be strong-willed in pursuit of his values, yet also respectful of the facts and of other people. Question 2: The Harm of Undiscovered Infidelity (11:54) If a husband cheated on his wife, and she never knew about it, he never got anyone pregnant, and he never got any STDs, would she be harmed? If so, how? Money Point: Fact that person doing harm to self and relationship, even if partner unaware of that. Question 3: Lying to Protect Privacy (19:26) Is lying to protect one's own privacy moral or not? Many people regard lies to protect their own privacy as justifiable, even necessary. For example, a woman might tell her co-workers that she's not seeing anyone, even though she's dating the boss. She might tell those co-workers that she didn't get a hefty end-of-year bonus, even though she did. She might tell a nosy acquaintance that she didn't want children, rather than reveal her struggles with infertility. Is that wrong -- or unwise? How could the woman protect her privacy in those circumstances without lying? Money Point: A person should protect his privacy by advance planning, including cultivating his personal boundaries and social skills, rather than by suffering all the risks and harms of lying. Question 4: Important Ideological Disagreements (30:20) How can Diana and Greg 'co-exist' with their difference regarding the question of personhood at/before birth, as seen in the December 19th webcast? I ask this especially in light of the discussion in the December 28th webcast of reality being binary. One of you is wrong on the personhood issue and the issue is so fundamental, I could never tolerate a dispute at this level with a close friend. Links: The 'Personhood' Movement Is Anti-Life: Why It Matters that Rights Begin at Birth, Not Conception by Ari Armstrong and Diana Hsieh, particularly the section Rights in Pregnancy, When does a fetus/infant become an individual? on Objectivist Answers, and Abortion Rights and Parental Obligations by Greg Perkins. Money Point: Not all disagreements need be divisive. Approach others -- particularly friends -- with respect, give them good arguments and time to think through them, if the matter is important enough to discuss. Question 5: Misused Words (43:29) How should we act towards others with poor conceptual habits? How should one act towards others who consistently refuse to use some concepts properly? For example, those who call margarine "butter" despite the drastic difference in their chemical makeup. Money Point: You should figure out why the person is misusing words -- whether due to mistake, indifference, or malice, then act accordingly. Question 6: OA: Returning Lost Property (49:40) From Objectivist Answers: Is there a proper policy on keeping lost property? If one were to find property that had been lost, is there a proper policy which would allow the finder to keep it? The most common example is finding an envelope full of money. Is one even morally obligated to report that he has found it? (Suppose that the owner cannot be immediately located, even with a decent amount of effort.) Money Point: Because lost property belongs to someone else and because you want to live in a benevolent culture, you should make a reasonable effort to return that property to its rightful owner. Forgetful people like me really appreciate that! Conclusion (58:06) Diana Hsieh: DianaHsieh.com: diana@dianahsieh.com Greg Perkins: Objectivist Answers: greg@eCosmos.com Don't forget to submit and vote on questions. And if you can, please contribute to our tip jar. The video for the webcast is only available for those attending live. After the webcast is completed, you can listen, download, or subscribe to the audio podcast. Podcast: Listen Now 59:37 minutes
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