The Gray Area with Sean Illing
How much money is too much?
In today’s episode, political philosopher Ingrid Robeyns tells Sean that we need to cap the amount of wealth a person can accumulate. They talk about how extreme inequality affects democracy, the role of money in politics, and why limiting personal wealth benefits everyone, including the super rich.
Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)
Guest: Ingrid Robeyns, professor and author of Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth
This episode originally aired in January 2024
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