Is inequality a natural phenomenon? Thomas Piketty argues it isn’t – and proposes a way forward

By Christopher Pollard, Sessional Academic in Sociology and Philosophy, Deakin University

Thomas Piketty’s Nature, Culture, and Inequality is a little book that addresses an issue of great significance: is the social inequality we observe every day natural?

Drawing on historical economic data from around the world, Piketty describes a tendency since the late 18th century toward greater political and socioeconomic equality. This was particularly apparent in Western countries from around 1914 to around 1980. There has since been a pronounced slowing…

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