When it comes to the enormous reduction of income inequality during the 20th century, Thomas Piketty sees politics everywhere. In his new book, A Brief History of Equality, he argues the rising equality during the 19th and 20th centuries has its roots not in deterministic economic forces but in the movements to end aristocratic and colonial societies starting at the end of the 18th century. Drawing this line forward, Piketty also contends we must rectify past injustices before attempting to create new institutions.
He joined Tyler to discuss just how egalitarian France actually is, the beginning of the end of aristocratic society, where he places himself within French intellectual history, why he’s skeptical of data from before the late 18th century, how public education drives economic development, why Georgism isn’t sufficient to address wealth inequality, the relationship between wealth and cultural capital, his proposal for a minimum inheritance, why he turned down the Legion of Honor, why France should give reparations to Haiti despite the logistical difficulties of doing so, his vision for European federalism, why more immigration won’t be a panacea for inequality, his thoughts on Michel Houellebecq’s Submission, and more.
Full transcript
Full video
Email: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram
Follow Tyler on Twitter
Follow Thomas on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
CWT on YouTube
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://go.mercatus.org/l/278272/2017-09-19/g4ms
Barkha Dutt on the Nuances of Indian Life
Marc Andreessen on Learning to Love the Humanities
Jamal Greene on Reconceiving Rights
Tyler and Daniel Gross Talk Talent
Chris Blattman on War and Centralized Power
Roy Foster on Ireland’s Many Unmade Futures
Lydia Davis on Language and Literature
Sam Bankman-Fried on Arbitrage and Altruism
Chuck Klosterman on Writing the Past and Relishing the Present
Sebastian Mallaby on Venture Capital
Stewart Brand on Starting Things and Staying Curious
Russ Roberts on Israel and Life as an Immigrant
Ana Vidović on Prodigies, Performance, and Perseverance
Conversations with Tyler 2021 Retrospective
Ray Dalio on Investing, Management, and the Changing World Order
Ruth Scurr on the Art of Biography
David Rubenstein on Private Equity, Public Art, and Philanthropy
David Salle on the Experience of Art
Stanley McChrystal on the Military, Leadership, and Risk
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Navigating Life After 40
Teaching Learning Leading K-12
Regenerative Skills
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast