Kwame Anthony Appiah: Identity, Culture Wars, Class & Authenticity | S7EP7 Inspire Us Podcast

Description

Kwame Anthony Appiah is a philosopher, cultural theorist and Professor of Philosophy at New York University. He is also the author of the popular “The Ethicist” column in The New York Times, where he explores everyday moral dilemmas through philosophy. In this conversation we explore identity, culture, class and authenticity. We discuss whether modern identity categories like race, gender and nationality are recent inventions, how culture becomes politicised in modern culture wars, and why great cultural works like William Shakespeare belong to everyone rather than to a single nation or race. It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to speak with Professor Appiah. We hope you enjoy this conversation. The episode is available now on YouTube and all podcast platforms. Chapters available below. Subscribe to Youtube: www.youtube.com/@InspireUsPodcast Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4WAeOo2e2Xf6qOFD1ZagXF?si=c9aeead4dc6847f9 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspire-us-podcast/id1732848248 Follow us on social media: X: https://x.com/InspireUsPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspireuspodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inspireuspodcast 0:00 Intro 1:12 Is It Kwame or Anthony? 3:10 What Is Identity — And Is It a Modern Idea? 6:45 The Three Elements of Identity (Labels, Identification & Treatment) 10:35 Growing Up Between Ghana and England 17:10 Is “Black Culture” a Meaningful Concept? 21:15 “Be Interested in What You're Interested In” 23:00 Why No One Owns Shakespeare 26:10 The Culture War and Cultural Ownership 29:40 Can We Judge Other Cultures? 36:20 Identity and the Role of Social Class 40:05 Populist Nationalism and Prestige Politics 44:00 Is the Modern World Really Meritocratic? 49:05 How Malleable Is Identity? 50:45 Gender Identity, Sexuality and Choice 57:00 Why Recognition of Identity Matters 1:03:00 How to Think More Clearly 1:07:40 Why Clarity Isn’t the Same as Truth 1:10:15 Writing the Ethics Column: Real Moral Dilemmas 1:15:00 Philosophy as a Practica