Are Rules Meant to Be Broken?

April 27, 2025

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Rules exist for a reason: they tell us what to expect, they help us coordinate our actions, and they stop us from exploiting one another. But isn’t it possible to be too much of a rule follower? Aren’t some rules arbitrary, unjust, or just plain inefficient? When should we exercise our judgment to reinterpret the rules, and when should we ignore them altogether? Josh and Ray break all rules with Barry Lam from UC Riverside, author of Fewer Rules, Better People The Case for Discretion.

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Barry Lam, Professor of Philosophy, University of California Riverside

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