Handover

The ancient philosopher Plato understood »excess wealth« to mean excessive wealth that did not make people happy because it was not virtuous. Although the topic is old, it is still the subject of controversial debate. This is because the global concentration of wealth is enormous and social inequality is a constant problem.

How wealth is distributed is not a private question. It concerns everyone. Emotional attributions are particularly important for the acceptance of the privileges of the wealthy: envy and hatred are predominantly attributed to the poor as vices, generosity and compassion to the wealthy as virtues. Anyone who wants a just society must first understand how wealth concentration is perceived. After all, excess wealth jeopardises democracy and political equality.

Moderation
Robert Misik, Author and journalist

Martin Schürz
is an economist and individual psychology analyst in Vienna. He has been researching wealth distribution in Europe for more than two decades and is a lecturer at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. In 2015, he received the European Parliament's Progressive Economy Award.

Martin Schürz
Handover
Campus Verlag 2019, ISBN 9783593511450