New Books in Economics

Thomas Piketty, "A Brief History of Equality" (Harvard UP, 2022)

May 16, 2022

Thomas Piketty, an influential economist and author of "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," discusses the evolution of equality through history. He highlights how human societies have, over time, progressed towards greater equality despite setbacks such as wars and imperialism. Piketty emphasizes the importance of addressing historical injustices, notably the case of Haiti, and advocates for educational reforms. He also reflects on the role of book writing in unpacking complex ideas, noting it as a crucial tool for fostering understanding and social justice.

27:11

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Thomas Piketty

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Quick takeaways

Thomas Piketty's historical analysis reveals a long-term trend towards greater equality, emphasizing progress amidst ongoing challenges like systemic inequality.

Piketty highlights the critical role of addressing historical injustices, such as slavery and colonialism, in creating equitable policies for the future.

Deep dives

Thomas Piketty's Academic Journey

Thomas Piketty's career reflects a unique academic journey that transitioned from a focus on mathematics to a deep interest in economic history. Initially studying mathematics due to France's emphasis on the subject for talented students, Piketty later shifted towards economics as a means to explore social sciences. His experiences at MIT opened his eyes to the limitations of purely mathematical modeling in economics, prompting him to pursue historical research using extensive data on income and wealth. This decision led to the establishment of the World Inequality Database and a significant body of work that explores patterns of inequality over time.

Intro

2min

From Math to Economics: A Scholar's Journey

8min

A Brief History of Equality

9min

Confronting Historical Injustices: The Case of Haiti

7min

The Importance of Book Writing in Exploring Complex Ideas

3min

It's easy to be pessimistic about inequality. We know it has increased dramatically in many parts of the world over the past two generations. No one has done more to reveal the problem than Thomas Piketty. Now, in this surprising and powerful new work, Piketty reminds us that the grand sweep of history gives us reasons to be optimistic. Over the centuries, he shows, we have been moving toward greater equality.

In A Brief History of Equality (Harvard UP, 2022), Piketty guides us with elegance and concision through the great movements that have made the modern world for better and worse: the growth of capitalism, revolutions, imperialism, slavery, wars, and the building of the welfare state. It's a history of violence and social struggle, punctuated by regression and disaster. But through it all, Piketty shows, human societies have moved fitfully toward a more just distribution of income and assets, a reduction of racial and gender inequalities, and greater access to health care, education, and the rights of citizenship. Our rough march forward is political and ideological, an endless fight against injustice. To keep moving, Piketty argues, we need to learn and commit to what works, to institutional, legal, social, fiscal, and educational systems that can make equality a lasting reality. At the same time, we need to resist historical amnesia and the temptations of cultural separatism and intellectual compartmentalization. At stake is the quality of life for billions of people. We know we can do better, Piketty concludes. The past shows us how. The future is up to us.

Javier Mejia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Political Science Department at Stanford University.

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