Brain in a Vat

The Costs of Open Borders | Lionel Shriver

August 25, 2026·56 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Lionel Shriver returns to discuss her new novel, 'A Better Life,' and the philosophical debate over immigration and open borders.Inspired by a proposed New York City program to pay residents to house migrants, the novel turns one family's home into a thought experiment about immigration and humanitarian obligations.Shriver examines the arguments for and against open borders, as well as challenges surrounding assimilation and national identity. She also considers what happens when abstract commitments to helping others require bearing the costs and responsibilities yourself in practice.Read Shriver’s book, ‘A Better Life’, here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-better-life-lionel-shriver?variant=43823065432098Chapters:[00:00] Introduction to Shriver[00:15] The Premise of A Better Life[03:31] Immigration Under Biden and Trump[09:09] The Home as a Metaphor for the Country[10:06] Arguments for Open Borders[15:03] Immigration and Declining Fertility[34:53] Assimilation and National Identity[40:56] America vs. Asia on Immigration[45:06] The Limits of Mass Deportation

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