WATCH: Yale professor says children are ‘hostages of their parents’

Samuel Moyn also tried to claim that 'young people' who don't have children 'will have the best insight into the interests of children.' “Because there’s a divergence of interests between parents and children,” Moyn claimed. Douthat’s response is perfect: pic.twitter.com/tx26XZxpxw — Caleb Wait (@calebwait) August 4, 2026The Yale academic continued, “I think parents generally confuse the interests of their family with the interests of their children. He later said that in his experience, “parents are more likely to be the hostages of their children.” Moyn is the Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, with research interests in modern European intellectual history and Jewish studies.