About this episode

The episode discusses the moral implications of treating strangers and neighbors equally, contrasting Western universalism with Confucian morality.

Should everyone be treated equally? Many see populism with its focus on immigration and nationalism as not only politically dangerous but morally wrong. This reflects the universalist morality of the main Western moral frameworks. But critics argue moral universalism generates a case for favouring strangers over the interests of those close to us and that it is profoundly mistaken. In contrast, Chinese Confucian morality accepts partiality towards our nearest. Recent studies have shown that we do in practice favour those close to us, and moreover that we think we are morally right to do so. Alain de Botton is the best-selling philosopher and founder of The School of Life, an organisation dedicated to developing emotional intelligence through philosophy, psychotherapy, and culture. Seyla Benhabib is one of the most influential political philosophers of her generation and is the author of At the Margins of the Modern State. Tommy Curry is the Personal Chair of Africana Philosophy and Black Male Studies at the University of Edinburgh, renowned for his critical scholarship on the intersection of race, gender, and power. Alex O'Connor hosts. Don't hesitate to email us at&nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: Alex O'Connor

Guests: Alain de Botton, Seyla Benhabib, Tommy Curry

Topics covered

• moral philosophy
• populism
• immigration
• nationalism
• Confucian morality
• partiality
• emotional intelligence

Keywords

• equality
• populism
• nationalism
• moral universalism
• Confucianism
• emotional intelligence
• philosophy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The School of Life, IAI

Books & works: At the Margins of the Modern State

More episodes of Philosophy For Our Times

• Slavoj Žižek on quantum history and the end of the past · April 21, 2026 · 1h 26m
• How they ruined philosophy | Babette Babich, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, and Christoph Schuringa · April 14, 2026 · 49 min
• A new theory of ethics | Martha Nussbaum · April 6, 2026 · 27 min
• Crisis in the academy | Yaron Brook, Eric Kaufmann, Catherine Liu · March 31, 2026 · 47 min
• Why the neoclassical philosophy of economics is fundamentally flawed | Abby Innes · March 23, 2026 · 26 min
• On the nature of reality | Rowan Williams and Iain McGilchrist · March 17, 2026 · 34 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Philosophy For Our Times podcast page.