Print Price: $30.95

Format:
Paperback
344 pp.
6.125" x 9.25"

ISBN-13:
9780197670408

Publication date:
April 2023

Imprint: OUP US

Against Inequality

The Practical and Ethical Case for Abolishing the Superrich

Tom Malleson

In an era of remarkable wealth idolatry, Tom Malleson investigates the ethical justifications of wealth inequality, taking the radical position that we should abolish the billionaires.

Stark inequality is a problem the world over, but it has been worsening over the past thirty years, particularly in rich, economically developed countries. To acquire the same amount of wealth as Elon Musk, the average American worker would have to work for more than four and a half million years. Is this inequality morally acceptable and is it feasible to actually reduce inequality in the real world?

In Against Inequality, Tom Malleson makes the case for rejecting meritocracy, presenting a strong defense against the claim that individuals "deserve" their wealth. Malleson argues that people, especially rich people, do not morally deserve the bulk of their income because it does not, by and large, come from anything the specific individual does, but is largely due to the vast understructure of other people's labor, in addition to their lucky possession of bodily talents and efforts. Furthermore, the book brings to light extensive historical and comparative evidence to show that raising taxes on both income and wealth is practically feasible and that the costs of doing so are far outweighed by the truly enormous benefits that such taxes could bring in terms of environmental sustainability, democratic equality, equal opportunity, and reduced racism and xenophobia.

Unlike previous books on inequality, Against Inequality focuses on the superrich, arguing that they have far too much: a world with billionaires alonside severe deprivation is a world without justice. Malleson's argument is not that billionaires are individually evil, but that a society that allows the existence of the superrich is structurally immoral. In an era of remarkable wealth idolatry, Against Inequality takes the radical position that we should abolish the billionaires.

Readership : General readers as well as students and scholars of politics, economics, philosophy, sociology, political economy, etc.

Reviews

• "Tom Malleson has written a great book on why we need to impose maximum limits on both income and wealth, together with steeply progressive taxation on income, inheritance, and wealth. A very important book and a must-read." -- Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century
• "Against Inequality is a logical and compelling proposal for why there should be no billionaires. In this era of great inequality and grave unrest, Malleson explains why the wealthy can and should pay for the investments and services needed to address the issues of our time, from poverty to environmental crises. For those of us who seek to understand and influence our future, Malleson's book is a must-read." -- Jessica Bell, Member of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario (NDP)
• "Urgent alert to all billionairesDLyou should buy up all the copies of Tom Malleson's Against Inequality. If this book gets in the hands of ordinary citizens, its powerful evidence and persuasive argument could finally spark a mass movement to take back the wealth that billionaires have successfully appropriated. Nobody else has produced such a powerful argument against today's catastrophic inequalities." -- Fred Block, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of California, Davis
• "Tom Malleson has achieved a book that is as important as it is gripping: you will struggle to put it down. With expertise and rigor, Malleson shows that the rich have become so extremely wealthy that redistributing even a tiny portion of their wealth could dramatically change the world. Malleson also shows that this can be successfully achieved within the current system, and with great benefits to all, as well as our planet." -- Isabelle Ferreras, President of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts of Belgium, 2021-2022
• "With sparkling clarityDLboth moral and intellectualDLMalleson methodically demolishes the mainstream justifications for the cartoonish inequality that defines early twenty-first century capitalism. More importantly, they make a case for its abolition that is both intensely practical and just feels so damn good to read. Mixing exceptionally accessible philosophy with necessary economic and political popular education, this book will only increase in relevance and urgency as the crimes and fortunes of the hoarding class pile up amid the crises they fuel." -- Avi Lewis, Filmmaker and co-author of The Leap Manifesto
• "This is a fantastic book making the case for why we should limit inequalities in income and wealth. The book combines a wealth of empirical insights with rigorous normative arguments. Tom Malleson debunks the claims of those defending inequalities, and shows how a world with much less inequality is not only eminently feasible, but will also be a much better world. This book is highly recommended not only to students and scholars, but equally to politicians and citizens." -- Ingrid Robeyns, Chair in Ethics of Institutions, Utrecht University
• "This is a provocative book, but it couldn't be more timely. A little over a decade ago, the Occupy movement brought the issue to public attention: 'The One-Percent versus the 99%.' Thomas Piketty's landmark Capital in the Twenty-First Century gave it academic credence. Malleson updates the ever-more-disturbing data and takes on the question, 'What is to be done?' Deeply researched, Against Inequality combines careful analysis of the ethical justifications for inequality with empirically based proposals, not to end all economic inequality, but to bring down the staggering levels that now threaten not only democratic governance, but the survival of our species." -- David Schweickart, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy. Loyola University Chicago