Link-O-Rama

• Some social conservatives threaten to abandon GOP: Here, let me open the door for you...
• George Takei Responds To "Traditional" Marriage Fans: So.Much.Awesome
• Video: Meet the 12-year-old Egyptian boy who wonderfully explains his country’s crisis: Wow, this kid is amazingly perceptive and articulate... and definitely not a theocrat!
• Vatican City Explained by CGPGrey: It's crazypants run wild!
• Lady In Black: 'Burka Avenger' Fights For Pakistan's Girls: "A caped crusader is on the loose in the mountains of Pakistan, but she's not your traditional superhero. The Burka Avenger wears a flowing black veil — only her brown eyes are visible — as she fights corrupt politicians and religious zealots. Her weapons of choice: pens and books."
• Tennessee judge, citing Jesus, changes baby's name from "Messiah": "A Tennessee woman named her baby Messiah, but she and the boy's father couldn't agree on whose last name he should bear. So they went to court. Except at a hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Thursday, Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew changed Messiah's first name. 'The word Messiah is a title, and it's a title that has only been earned by one person, and that one person is Jesus Christ, the judge told WBIR-TV, a local channel." I'd like to introduce this judge to the concept of "separation of church and state."

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Tom Varik on Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I interviewed attorney Tom Varik about "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege." 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.

You can automatically download podcasts of Philosophy in Action Radio by subscribing to Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feed:

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Podcast: Tom Varik about "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege"

As the cause of gay marriage gains ever-more traction, many have wondered whether marriage really matters. Attorney Tom Varik argues that it does. In this interview, he discussed the legal status and importance of gay marriage, including the recent Supreme Court cases, as well as the history and limits of spousal privilege.

Tom G. Varik is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently works for the Social Security Administration. He attended the University of Akron School of Law, earning a JD in 2009. Before that, he studied motion picture production at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he produced several short films featured in various international underground film festivals, and earned a BFA in 2006.

Listen or Download:

• Duration: 1:03:30
• Download: Standard MP3 File (21.8 MB)

Topics:

• The nature of spousal privilege
• Testimonial privilege
• Communication privilege
• A few examples
• The history of spousal privilege: Funk v. US (290 U.S. 371) (1933), Hawkins v. US (358 U.S. 74) (1958), Wyatt v. US (362 U.S. 525) (1960), Wolfe v. US (291 U.S. 7) (1934), and Trammel v. US (445 U.S. 40) (1980)
• The proper rule and proper justification for spousal privilege
• A parent-child privilege?
• The relevance of spousal privilege to gay marriage
• Elements of marriage for which people cannot contract
• The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
• The recent Supreme Court Case: Windsor
• The effects of the patchwork of state laws on gay marriage
• The Full Faith and Credit Clause
• The Proposition 8 Supreme Court Case
• The cultural acceptance of gays

Links:

• Same-Sex Marriages and the Federal Spousal Privileges by Tom G. Varik

Tags:

• Culture, GLBT, Law, Marriage, Politics, Rights

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.

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Evolution and Objectivism: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I answered a question on evolution and Objectivism that might be of interest. The question was:

Does evolutionary theory contradict the principles of Objectivism? I am new to atheism and Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, and I embrace both wholeheartedly. However, I take issue with the theory of evolution. Atheism seems to imply evolution, but evolution seems to clash with Objectivism. Evolution holds that man is an insignificant piece of the larger, grander picture of the randomness that is life, that man is just one small insignificant step in the collective evolution of the earth, and that man is one with Mother Earth, not superior to it. In contrast, Objectivism holds that man has a purpose and that man is the most significant being, supreme over all other life. Also, Objectivism holds that "A is A" and that "Existence exists." Evolution, in contrast, claims that life came from non-life, fish came from non-fish, and man came from non-man – meaning that A came from non-A. Am I correct in my criticisms? Might some theory other than evolution be more compatible with Objectivism?

My Answer, In Brief: This question is based on major misunderstandings not only of evolutionary theory, but Objectivism too. Evolutionary theory is proven scientific theory that doesn’t conflict with Objectivist principles in the slightest.

Download or Listen to My Full Answer:

• Duration: 12:39
• Download: MP3 Segment

Tags: Egoism, Epistemology, Ethics, Evolution, Human Nature, Logic, Meaning, Metaphysics, Objectivism, Rationalism, Science

Links:

• The Blind Watchmaker and The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
• Why Evolution Is True by Jerry Coyne

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

A podcast of the full episode – where I answered questions on identifying dangerous people, evolution and Objectivism, and more – is available here: Episode of 4 August 2013.

You can automatically download podcasts of Philosophy in Action Radio by subscribing to Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feed:

• Enhanced M4A Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player
• Standard MP3 Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player

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.

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Tom Varik on Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege: Wednesday on Philosophy in Action Radio

On Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I'll interview attorney Tom Varik about "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege." This episode of internet radio airs at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Wednesday, 7 August 2013, in our live studio. If you miss that live broadcast, you can always listen to the podcast later.

As the cause of gay marriage gains ever-more traction, many have wondered whether marriage really matters. Attorney Tom Varik argue that it does. He will discuss the legal status and importance of gay marriage, including the recent Supreme Court cases, as well as the history and limits of spousal privilege.

Tom G. Varik is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently works for the Social Security Administration. He attended the University of Akron School of Law, earning a JD in 2009. Before that, he studied motion picture production at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he produced several short films featured in various international underground film festivals, and earned a BFA in 2006.

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: Tom Varik on Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege. It will be posted on Thursday morning, if not sooner. You can automatically download that and other podcasts by subscribing to Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feed:

• Enhanced M4A Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player
• Standard MP3 Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player

I hope you join us on Wednesday evening!

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.

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Eric Daniels on Why Small Government Isn't the Answer: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I interviewed historian Eric Daniels about "Why Small Government Isn't the Answer." It's not directly related to the cause of secular government, but it's useful to anyone interested in political activism for individual rights. 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.

You can automatically download podcasts of Philosophy in Action Radio by subscribing to Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feed:

• Enhanced M4A Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player
• Standard MP3 Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player

Podcast: Eric Daniels about "Why Small Government Isn't the Answer"

Is "big government" the fundamental problem of American politics? Historian Eric Daniels will explain why this common formulation is misleading, wrong, and even dangerous to liberty.

Dr. Eric Daniels teaches history and works on curriculum development at the LePort Schools in Irvine, California. He has previously taught at Clemson, Georgetown, and Duke Universities. He has a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Wisconsin.

Listen or Download:

• Duration: 1:15:05
• Download: Standard MP3 File (25.8 MB)

Topics:

• The problem with "big government" versus "small government"
• The proper debate: individual rights
• The two axes of size versus rights
• Big government like judicial activism
• Three categories of government action
• Violating rights versus failing to protect rights
• The Founders' view: not size but the proper ends of government
• The failure of the Articles of Confederation
• 19th century rights violations
• The rights of women
• Violations of rights by local governments, particularly based on race
• The real-life effects of failing to protect rights
• Judges riding the circuit, too small criminal justice system
• Measuring the size of government
• Measuring the growth of government
• The problem of the inessential
• Skewing the political debate toward anarchism
• The appeal to Somalia
• The terms "limited government" and "minarchism"
• Advice for activists
• Eric's new job at LePort Schools

Links:

• The Objective Standard: Why "Big Government" is Not the Problem by Eric Daniels
• Vices of the Political System of the United States by James Madison
• lePort Schools

Tags:

• Activism, America, Anarchism, Crime, Culture, Epistemology, Government, History, Law, Libertarianism, Politics, Racism, Rights, Self-Defense, Sexism

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.

Read more...