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Throughout history, only violent and catastrophic events have significantly cut inequality

Scheidel, Walter (2017) Throughout history, only violent and catastrophic events have significantly cut inequality. Democratic Audit UK (22 Mar 2017). Website.

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Abstract

Are mass violence and catastrophes the only forces that can seriously decrease economic inequality? To judge by thousands of years of history, the answer is yes, argues Walter Scheidel in this extract from his new book, The Great Leveller: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the 21st Century. Over thousands of years, only violent events have significantly lessened inequality. The “Four Horsemen” of levelling — mass-mobilisation warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and catastrophic plagues—have repeatedly destroyed the fortunes of the rich.

Item Type: Online resource (Website)
Official URL: http://www.democraticaudit.com
Additional Information: © 2017 The Author(s)
Divisions: LSE
Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CB History of civilization
D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D051 Ancient History
D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History
D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
J Political Science > JC Political theory
J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General)
Date Deposited: 07 Jun 2017 13:58
Last Modified: 14 Sep 2024 01:26
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/80418

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