Conference: Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Thomas Piketty)

 

 

Piketty’s book Capital in the Twenty-First Century is an outstanding work. It has helped to reintroduce the topic of inequality in economics and the social sciences. T

The book clearly shows how inequality evolved during the last century and how the situation is at present. The study covers most developed countries and many developing societies; it also analyses future trends. The conclusion is alarming. Since the 1970s the gap between the very rich and the rest of the population has been increasing steadily. In the next decades we will probably experience a concentration of wealth among the 10% of the population similar to that of the European countries before the First World War.

Piketty’s book is the outcome of a major scientific project that aims at studying inequality worldwide. It also encourages the moral-philosophical debate around key questions such us:
Why is inequality wrong? Which degree of wealth and income inequality is ethically justifiable? Which normative principles should govern a just and fair society?

Marcos Breuer, PhD in Philosophy, will present Piketty’s main findings and discuss the ethical aspects implied in the study.