Can Selfless Altruism Really Exist?

“It’s undeniable that people sometimes act in a way that benefits others, but it may seem that they always get something in return – at the very least, the satisfaction of having their desire to help fulfilled. Students in introductory philosophy courses torture their professors with this reasoning. And its logic can seem inexorable.”

How Unbiased Are Orchestral Auditions, Really?

Peter Dobrin: “When orchestral musicians feign perplexity on the question of why orchestras aren’t more diverse – but we use audition screens! – the disingenuousness is insulting. But the orchestra regularly asks us to accept an equally ludicrous proposition: that when auditions draw hundreds of aspirants, the most qualified musician just happens to be related to someone already in the organization.”