Do we really need to work so hard?

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Americans have absorbed the Protestant work ethic: the idea that our value as human beings – and our eventual salvation – is determined by how hard we work. Political philosopher Elizabeth Anderson explains how this evolved, why it pervades everything, and why it’s no longer serving us.This episode originally aired in January of 2024.

Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)
Guest: Elizabeth Anderson, professor of public philosophy at the University of Michigan.

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