What if our obsession with rules is making everything worse? What if philosophy isn’t exclusive to university hallways?

Barry Lam — philosopher, documentarian, and host of the Hi-Phi Nation podcast — joins the show to explore the collision between abstract ethics and the messiest corners of real life. His book Fewer Rules, Better People makes a provocative case: rule systems kill excellence. From criminal justice to airport security, the institutions we’ve built to be fair have become machines that punish good judgment.

We also discuss strange and  true stories of philosophy in action:     •    The gamers who helped stabilise mRNA vaccines     •    Soldiers navigating unjust orders — and what philosophy says they owe themselves     •    A woman who genuinely believes she’s the reincarnation of Anne Frank     •    People falling in love with AI chatbots — and whether that love is real     •    Why lottocracy might be a more honest democracy than the one we have     •    What (if anything) you owe your past self

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Pick up Barry's book Fewer Rules Better People at wwnorton.com/books/fewer-rules-better-people and check out his documentary podcast Hi-Phi Nation at hiphination.org

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