Moral Maze

What should we do about inherited inequality?


Listen Later

In every species, including homo sapiens, the family is nature’s way of passing inequality down the generations. The family gives us our genetic make-up and a large proportion of our training, education, socialisation and cultural attitudes. It may bequeath to us wealth or poverty. None of this is fair.

Should we get cross about silver spoons and livid about nepotism? We don’t seem to. Inheritance tax is deeply unpopular (not just with farmers). And it's not merely money that tilts the scales when a child is born. There's the where and when of it, there's parental character and competence, there are genetic pluses and minuses. How should we, as a society, address the unfairness that results from inherited advantage? And how can we know whether it’s made a difference? Everyone claims to want equality of opportunity. Some of us want to measure our success by equality of outcome; the rest of us say ‘dream on.’

Should we aim to eradicate or compensate for inherited inequality? Should we try to correct for the effects of genetic and environmental misfortune? Or should we just accept that, in the words of William Blake, 'Some are Born to sweet delight. Some are Born to Endless Night'?

Chair: Michael Buerk

Panel: Tim Stanley, Ash Sarkar, James Orr and Mona Siddiqui
Witnesses: Aaron Reeves, Ruth Porter, Will Snell, Edward Davies.

Producers: Dan Tierney and Peter Everett.

Editor: Tim Pemberton

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Moral MazeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

49 ratings


More shows like Moral Maze

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,403 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,852 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,822 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

309 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,770 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,069 Listeners

The Week in Westminster by BBC Radio 4

The Week in Westminster

31 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

904 Listeners

A Point of View by BBC Radio 4

A Point of View

74 Listeners

The Reith Lectures by BBC Radio 4

The Reith Lectures

152 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,023 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,060 Listeners

Any Questions? and Any Answers? by BBC Radio 4

Any Questions? and Any Answers?

40 Listeners

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture by The New Statesman

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

139 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

784 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

81 Listeners

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson by BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

76 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

774 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,039 Listeners

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government by Institute for Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

21 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,415 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

983 Listeners

Leading by Goalhanger

Leading

908 Listeners

The Today Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The Today Podcast

39 Listeners