19. Should migration scholars be realistic or idealistic? (Poor sound quality)

Talking Migration

Apologies for the poor sound quality of this episode. In 1987 Joseph Carens, Professor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, University of Toronto, pioneered political philosophy on immigration by making the case for open borders. In his most recent book, The Ethics of Immigration, he restated his case for keeping borders open. Yet some people find that this is simply too idealistic and that even political philosophers must think about what can actually be done in the real world. Carens himself discusses this, for example in his recent book. He joins the podcast to talk about whether, when it comes to immigration, we should be idealists or realists, or both.