Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman
Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman
iHeartPodcasts
Ep129 "Is utopia possible or do human brains preclude it?" with Paul Bloom
43 minutes Posted Nov 10, 2025 at 11:00 am.
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Would a utopia be possible? Or does our innate tribalism and jealousy make perfect societies difficult to achieve? Do we secretly love hierarchies? Why are primate brains such excellent detectors of unfairness? Why do things become more desirable when we’re told we can’t have them? Did the church’s disavowal of first-cousin marriage lead to better politics? This week Eagleman talks with psychologist Paul Bloom about the (im)possibility of achieving societal utopias.