Ep 447: You Have No Right to Your Culture, with Bryan Caplan

Economist and author Bryan Caplan returns to discuss his latest book, You Have No Right to Your Culture. Bryan explains why genuine “cultural preservation” would require totalitarian control over children and future generations, why most cultural change comes from generational shifts rather than immigration, and why appeals to a “right to culture” only seem to appear when immigrants are involved.

Doug and Bryan dig into Western civilization’s global influence (“Westtoxification”), the rapid cultural transformations in places like the UAE and Japan, and whether Western culture is really “under attack” or simply winning the world by passing the market test. They contrast perceived threats from immigration with the rise of critical theory and “wokeness,” and Bryan lays out his famous “Caplan compromise” on open borders—keyhole solutions like limiting welfare and voting while radically expanding migration.

The conversation also covers:

• What Bryan actually means by “culture” and why you don’t have a right to others practicing yours
• Why true cultural preservation implies a deeply totalitarian mindset
• Western civ, liberalism, and how the Enlightenment reshaped both
• Colonialism, anti‑colonialism, and why peace often matters more than political control
• Why fears of a coordinated partisan “open borders” plot are largely fantasy
• Cohesion, “turning the other cheek,” and how to actually build social peace in a diverse society
• Bryan’s debate strategy as the “passive‑aggressive Jesus”
• Lightning round: best meal, most overrated destination, surprising cultural practices, and dream dinner guests

Show Notes

• Read Caplan’s essay here
• Buy You Have No Right to Your Culture here
• Bryan Caplan’s SubstackBryan Caplan’s SubstackYou Have No Right to Your Culture