meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Daily: What’s in it for me? Why SELF-INTEREST isn’t so bad

The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Podmasters

News, Government, Politics, Society & Culture

4.61K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2021

⏱️ 19 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why has self-interest become such a dirty word (or words) in politics? Why do we always assume the worst motives in our opponents? And if voters keep on disappointing progressives by voting against their supposed economic interests, do we need to revise our idea of what self-interest really is? Thomas Prosser, author of What’s In It For Me? Self-Interest And Political Difference explains why we should stop worrying and learn to love the concept of self-interest.  “Reflecting on self-interest takes the sting out of politics.” “Progressives – unlike conservatives – aren’t so good at recognising the validity of self-interest.” “Self-interest isn’t just economic, it’s cultural. That’s where Remainers went wrong on Brexit.” “There’s an argument that the 2017 Labour manifesto was the least redistributive ever.” “Awareness of self-interest makes us more tolerant.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

My name is Stan. I'm at. Nice to meet you. So you took up photography where? I've always loved

0:05.5

photography but I turn it into earning a living at 60. I enrolled on a day course.

0:11.8

Well college. I loved going to college. It's good you can retry. I'm enrolled on the day course. But college?

0:13.0

I loved going to college.

0:14.0

It's good you can retrain and do something.

0:16.0

Yeah, yeah.

0:17.0

Let's talk about working, learning, saving and making the most of living longer.

0:22.0

Phoenix Group is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business.

0:28.0

Search Phoenix Group living longer.

0:30.0

Pets brings so much joy.

0:32.0

From those happy greetings at the door to the warm cuddles on the sofa

0:36.7

so give a little love back with dental life from Purina a range of delicious chues made for dogs and tasty snacks for cats that help clean and support your pets, teeth and gums, essential for their overall well-being and a happy, healthy life. They give you plenty of smiles so

0:55.3

look after theirs with dental life. Pick up dental life in the pet food aisle. Hello and welcome to another bunker daily with me Andrew Harrison. We live in a selfish world. Everything will be so much better if

1:14.2

voters weren't so wedded to their own self-interest and selfishness is overwhelmingly dangerous to

1:18.8

stability and prosperity. These things are obvious if you're anywhere on the progressive spectrum from the center left to the

1:23.6

full-on socialist. But progressives are constantly perplexed that marginalized people and the working

1:28.5

classes insist on voting against what is on paper their own self-interest, electing conservatives, privatizers

1:35.3

and wealthy leaders over and over again. And meanwhile, the self-same progressives often support

1:39.8

policies that benefit younger, wealthier, more educated people like themselves from free tuition fees to diversity policies to internationalism and public sector investment.

1:48.0

So what is self-interest really? Do we really understand this in others and in ourselves?

1:53.0

Thomas Prosser is a reader in European social policy at Cardiff University and he's just published

1:58.5

what's in it for me? Self-interest in political difference in which he asks why we hold the political views we do and whether by better understanding self-interest we can harness it and use it.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Podmasters, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Podmasters and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.