In this episode, we read “In Defense of Cultural Appropriation”, by Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray. In it, they argue that cultural appropriation is neither morally wrong nor socially harmful. They reject claims that it constitutes theft, disrespect, or oppression, insisting that no one owns cultural ideas or symbols and that cultural mixing often benefits everyone.
In this episode, we debate whether a property-rights-based argument for it holds up, whether offense and inequality matter morally, and if there are cases where cultural appropriation really is wrong. Ultimately, we agree that in cases when it seems bad, it’s usually bad for reasons other than the fact of it’s cultural appropriation.