Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality

Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality

Author: Robert P. Jones

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-12-22

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 1315413515

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Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality brings together a diverse group of scholars, activists and public intellectuals to consider one of the most pressing issues of our time: increasing inequalities of income and wealth that grate against justice and erode the bonds that hold society together. The contributors think through different religious traditions to understand and address inequality. They make practical proposals in relation to concrete situations like mass incarceration and sweatshops. They also explore the inner experience of life in a society marked by inequality, tracing the contours of stress, hopelessness and a restless lack of contentment. This book honors the work of Jon P. Gunnemann, who has been a leading scholar at the intersections of religion and economics. Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars of religion and economics. It will be useful to policy-makers and activists seeking a more thorough understanding of the role of religion and theology in public life.


Book Synopsis Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality by : Robert P. Jones

Download or read book Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality written by Robert P. Jones and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-12-22 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality brings together a diverse group of scholars, activists and public intellectuals to consider one of the most pressing issues of our time: increasing inequalities of income and wealth that grate against justice and erode the bonds that hold society together. The contributors think through different religious traditions to understand and address inequality. They make practical proposals in relation to concrete situations like mass incarceration and sweatshops. They also explore the inner experience of life in a society marked by inequality, tracing the contours of stress, hopelessness and a restless lack of contentment. This book honors the work of Jon P. Gunnemann, who has been a leading scholar at the intersections of religion and economics. Spirit and Capital in an Age of Inequality will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars of religion and economics. It will be useful to policy-makers and activists seeking a more thorough understanding of the role of religion and theology in public life.

Capitalists, Arise!

Capitalists, Arise!

Author: Peter Georgescu

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Published: 2017-05-01

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 1523082682

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The legendary CEO presents “a challenge to America’s captains of business . . . to reclaim capitalism as a means of creating wealth and shared prosperity” (Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation). Peter Georgescu arrived in this country as a penniless Romanian refugee and rose to become the CEO of Young & Rubicam. This is why he's so heartsick that with flat wages, disappearing jobs, and a shrinking middle class, his kind of rags-to-riches story doesn't seem possible now. But he has a message for his fellow CEOs: we're the ones who must take the lead in fixing the economy. Today, America has greater wealth inequality and lower social mobility than just about any other country in the developed world. As Georgescu demonstrates, this is because free-market capitalism has been hijacked by shareholder primacy. Where once our business leaders looked to the needs and interests of a variety of stakeholders—employees, community members, the business itself—now they're myopically focused on maximizing their shareholders' quarterly returns. In Capitalists, Arise!, Georgescu offers concrete, pro-capitalist actions we can take to create a better future—one in which shareholders would do even better! In the long run, businesses can thrive only when society is healthy and strong. This book is a manifesto calling on capitalists to heal the nation that has given them so much.


Book Synopsis Capitalists, Arise! by : Peter Georgescu

Download or read book Capitalists, Arise! written by Peter Georgescu and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The legendary CEO presents “a challenge to America’s captains of business . . . to reclaim capitalism as a means of creating wealth and shared prosperity” (Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation). Peter Georgescu arrived in this country as a penniless Romanian refugee and rose to become the CEO of Young & Rubicam. This is why he's so heartsick that with flat wages, disappearing jobs, and a shrinking middle class, his kind of rags-to-riches story doesn't seem possible now. But he has a message for his fellow CEOs: we're the ones who must take the lead in fixing the economy. Today, America has greater wealth inequality and lower social mobility than just about any other country in the developed world. As Georgescu demonstrates, this is because free-market capitalism has been hijacked by shareholder primacy. Where once our business leaders looked to the needs and interests of a variety of stakeholders—employees, community members, the business itself—now they're myopically focused on maximizing their shareholders' quarterly returns. In Capitalists, Arise!, Georgescu offers concrete, pro-capitalist actions we can take to create a better future—one in which shareholders would do even better! In the long run, businesses can thrive only when society is healthy and strong. This book is a manifesto calling on capitalists to heal the nation that has given them so much.

Never Enough

Never Enough

Author: Neil Gilbert

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-11-11

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0199361347

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It is said that greed fuels capitalism and socialism feeds on envy. But what happens in a stable society when a successful economy generates material progress for one population sector, while simultaneously creating income inequality and poverty for another sector? While this has long been a classic debate for economists, Neil Gilbert, a social welfare theorist, offers a new take. In this landmark work, Gilbert addresses the long-standing tensions between capitalism and the progressive spirit and challenges the contemporary progressive outlook on the failures of capitalism. In doing this, Never Enough analyzes the empirical evidence for conventional claims about the real level of poverty, the presumed causes and consequences of inequality, the meaning and underlying dynamics of social mobility, and the necessity for more social welfare spending and universal benefits. The book's careful analysis suggests that it is time to resist the material definition of progress that stands so high on the current agenda and envision alternative ways for our government to advance the "good society." Insatiable consumption and the commodification of everyday life has dominated the last half-century, and is encouraged by modern capitalism because it feeds the economy and is also used as a measure of individual success. But Gilbert argues that it is perhaps no longer the best way to stimulate the economy. Never Enough also challenges the prevailing assumptions about the decline of middle-class prosperity, opportunity and material well-being in the United States and in other post-industrial nations. In a careful reading of the evidence and a critical analysis of its implications, Gilbert demonstrates the extent to which the customary progressive claims about the severity of poverty, inequality, social mobility and the benefits of universalism not only distort the empirical reality of modern life in an era of abundance, but confounds efforts to help those most in need.


Book Synopsis Never Enough by : Neil Gilbert

Download or read book Never Enough written by Neil Gilbert and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is said that greed fuels capitalism and socialism feeds on envy. But what happens in a stable society when a successful economy generates material progress for one population sector, while simultaneously creating income inequality and poverty for another sector? While this has long been a classic debate for economists, Neil Gilbert, a social welfare theorist, offers a new take. In this landmark work, Gilbert addresses the long-standing tensions between capitalism and the progressive spirit and challenges the contemporary progressive outlook on the failures of capitalism. In doing this, Never Enough analyzes the empirical evidence for conventional claims about the real level of poverty, the presumed causes and consequences of inequality, the meaning and underlying dynamics of social mobility, and the necessity for more social welfare spending and universal benefits. The book's careful analysis suggests that it is time to resist the material definition of progress that stands so high on the current agenda and envision alternative ways for our government to advance the "good society." Insatiable consumption and the commodification of everyday life has dominated the last half-century, and is encouraged by modern capitalism because it feeds the economy and is also used as a measure of individual success. But Gilbert argues that it is perhaps no longer the best way to stimulate the economy. Never Enough also challenges the prevailing assumptions about the decline of middle-class prosperity, opportunity and material well-being in the United States and in other post-industrial nations. In a careful reading of the evidence and a critical analysis of its implications, Gilbert demonstrates the extent to which the customary progressive claims about the severity of poverty, inequality, social mobility and the benefits of universalism not only distort the empirical reality of modern life in an era of abundance, but confounds efforts to help those most in need.

The Upside of Inequality

The Upside of Inequality

Author: Edward Conard

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0698409914

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The scourge of America’s economy isn't the success of the 1 percent—quite the opposite. The real problem is the government’s well-meaning but misguided attempt to reduce the payoffs for success. Four years ago, Edward Conard wrote a controversial bestseller, Unintended Consequences, which set the record straight on the financial crisis of 2008 and explained why U.S. growth was accelerating relative to other high-wage economies. He warned that loose monetary policy would produce neither growth nor inflation, that expansionary fiscal policy would have no lasting benefit on growth in the aftermath of the crisis, and that ill-advised attempts to rein in banking based on misplaced blame would slow an already weak recovery. Unfortunately, he was right. Now he’s back with another provocative argument: that our current obsession with income inequality is misguided and will only slow growth further. Using fact-based logic, Conard tracks the implications of an economy now constrained by both its capacity for risk-taking and by a shortage of properly trained talent—rather than by labor or capital, as was the case historically. He uses this fresh perspective to challenge the conclusions of liberal economists like Larry Summers and Joseph Stiglitz and the myths of “crony capitalism” more broadly. Instead, he argues that the growing wealth of most successful Americans is not to blame for the stagnating incomes of the middle and working classes. If anything, the success of the 1 percent has put upward pressure on employment and wages. Conard argues that high payoffs for success motivate talent to get the training and take the risks that gradually loosen the constraints to growth. Well-meaning attempts to decrease inequality through redistribution dull these incentives, gradually hurting not just the 1 percent but everyone else as well. Conard outlines a plan for growing middle- and working-class wages in an economy with a near infinite supply of labor that is shifting from capital-intensive manufacturing to knowledge-intensive, innovation-driven fields. He urges us to stop blaming the success of the 1 percent for slow wage growth and embrace the upside of inequality: faster growth and greater prosperity for everyone.


Book Synopsis The Upside of Inequality by : Edward Conard

Download or read book The Upside of Inequality written by Edward Conard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scourge of America’s economy isn't the success of the 1 percent—quite the opposite. The real problem is the government’s well-meaning but misguided attempt to reduce the payoffs for success. Four years ago, Edward Conard wrote a controversial bestseller, Unintended Consequences, which set the record straight on the financial crisis of 2008 and explained why U.S. growth was accelerating relative to other high-wage economies. He warned that loose monetary policy would produce neither growth nor inflation, that expansionary fiscal policy would have no lasting benefit on growth in the aftermath of the crisis, and that ill-advised attempts to rein in banking based on misplaced blame would slow an already weak recovery. Unfortunately, he was right. Now he’s back with another provocative argument: that our current obsession with income inequality is misguided and will only slow growth further. Using fact-based logic, Conard tracks the implications of an economy now constrained by both its capacity for risk-taking and by a shortage of properly trained talent—rather than by labor or capital, as was the case historically. He uses this fresh perspective to challenge the conclusions of liberal economists like Larry Summers and Joseph Stiglitz and the myths of “crony capitalism” more broadly. Instead, he argues that the growing wealth of most successful Americans is not to blame for the stagnating incomes of the middle and working classes. If anything, the success of the 1 percent has put upward pressure on employment and wages. Conard argues that high payoffs for success motivate talent to get the training and take the risks that gradually loosen the constraints to growth. Well-meaning attempts to decrease inequality through redistribution dull these incentives, gradually hurting not just the 1 percent but everyone else as well. Conard outlines a plan for growing middle- and working-class wages in an economy with a near infinite supply of labor that is shifting from capital-intensive manufacturing to knowledge-intensive, innovation-driven fields. He urges us to stop blaming the success of the 1 percent for slow wage growth and embrace the upside of inequality: faster growth and greater prosperity for everyone.

The Hidden Form of Capital

The Hidden Form of Capital

Author: Peter L. Berger

Publisher: Anthem Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 1843318326

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'The Hidden Form of Capital' presents evidence from several parts of the changing world about how the realm of the spirit affects the economy. The idea that societies have economic cultures as well as aesthetic, literary, and artistic cultures is well-embedded in a number of major studies attempting to identify the origins of national wealth and progress. This book provides an original contribution to the debate, by discussing the relationship between religion and the economy not via further theoretical speculation, but through the presentation of analytical evidence from real-life case studies in Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia, and the United States. There is currently a major re-assessment of assumptions about the foundations of societal progress, as the market rationality model is exposed for its moral weaknesses. The emergence of socio-economics as a scholarly field, as well as the embracing of complexity theory and the societal effect in economic analysis, brings the question of cultural effects to the forefront. This collection of studies offers more practical and tangible evidence, especially unique and useful for its comparative aspect. The book skilfully combines this comparative and descriptive character with an accessible writing style intended for a wide audience.


Book Synopsis The Hidden Form of Capital by : Peter L. Berger

Download or read book The Hidden Form of Capital written by Peter L. Berger and published by Anthem Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The Hidden Form of Capital' presents evidence from several parts of the changing world about how the realm of the spirit affects the economy. The idea that societies have economic cultures as well as aesthetic, literary, and artistic cultures is well-embedded in a number of major studies attempting to identify the origins of national wealth and progress. This book provides an original contribution to the debate, by discussing the relationship between religion and the economy not via further theoretical speculation, but through the presentation of analytical evidence from real-life case studies in Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia, and the United States. There is currently a major re-assessment of assumptions about the foundations of societal progress, as the market rationality model is exposed for its moral weaknesses. The emergence of socio-economics as a scholarly field, as well as the embracing of complexity theory and the societal effect in economic analysis, brings the question of cultural effects to the forefront. This collection of studies offers more practical and tangible evidence, especially unique and useful for its comparative aspect. The book skilfully combines this comparative and descriptive character with an accessible writing style intended for a wide audience.

Capital Formation and Inequality

Capital Formation and Inequality

Author: Raymond Taylor Bye

Publisher:

Published: 1937*

Total Pages: 620

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Capital Formation and Inequality by : Raymond Taylor Bye

Download or read book Capital Formation and Inequality written by Raymond Taylor Bye and published by . This book was released on 1937* with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Wealth of the Elite

The Wealth of the Elite

Author: Stamatios Tsigos

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Published: 2020-07-16

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 9789811521478

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This book analyses the processes through which the modern forms of large fortunes are amassed. Despite the recent spate of governmental and non-governmental interest in inequality (be it wealth or income), the most privileged and fortunate have not generated much interest in mainstream economics. As the issue of wealth accumulation is multifaceted, the proposed book will not merely be an exercise in business history but deals with the issue from multiple perspectives, accordingly employing alternative research methods. Broadly, the trends and dynamics in high-tier wealth accumulation are coupled to the economic, political and social mechanisms that have been in play for at least half a century or more in some parts of the world. This approach leads to potential policy implications since much of the debate on wealth distribution centres on the extent to which wealth has been ‘justly’ attained. Further, how wealth is distributed in the capitalist system can have an impact upon economic growth.This book offers an alternative perspective on why we have witnessed the growth of a new social class of ultra rich. This book will be of interest to academics and researchers in international economic bodies.


Book Synopsis The Wealth of the Elite by : Stamatios Tsigos

Download or read book The Wealth of the Elite written by Stamatios Tsigos and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2020-07-16 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses the processes through which the modern forms of large fortunes are amassed. Despite the recent spate of governmental and non-governmental interest in inequality (be it wealth or income), the most privileged and fortunate have not generated much interest in mainstream economics. As the issue of wealth accumulation is multifaceted, the proposed book will not merely be an exercise in business history but deals with the issue from multiple perspectives, accordingly employing alternative research methods. Broadly, the trends and dynamics in high-tier wealth accumulation are coupled to the economic, political and social mechanisms that have been in play for at least half a century or more in some parts of the world. This approach leads to potential policy implications since much of the debate on wealth distribution centres on the extent to which wealth has been ‘justly’ attained. Further, how wealth is distributed in the capitalist system can have an impact upon economic growth.This book offers an alternative perspective on why we have witnessed the growth of a new social class of ultra rich. This book will be of interest to academics and researchers in international economic bodies.

Capitalism and Inequality

Capitalism and Inequality

Author: Albert Duncan

Publisher: Xlibris Us

Published: 2018-06-08

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 9781984531667

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This book reinforces the fact that capitalism is not the enemy and that income and wealth inequality are societys cost for economic prosperity and poverty reduction. While recognizing some of the problems associated with inequality, the author shows that inequality is tightly woven into the fabric of the market economy. This book highlights the logical connection between profit, profit motive, wealth creation, and enhanced economic well-being of citizens. It questions the economic logic and effectiveness of government policies aimed at reducing inequality while refuting the use of taxation to promote equality. Using China as an example, the book shows how capitalism has evolved into an efficient wealth-creating machine bringing prosperity to millions.


Book Synopsis Capitalism and Inequality by : Albert Duncan

Download or read book Capitalism and Inequality written by Albert Duncan and published by Xlibris Us. This book was released on 2018-06-08 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reinforces the fact that capitalism is not the enemy and that income and wealth inequality are societys cost for economic prosperity and poverty reduction. While recognizing some of the problems associated with inequality, the author shows that inequality is tightly woven into the fabric of the market economy. This book highlights the logical connection between profit, profit motive, wealth creation, and enhanced economic well-being of citizens. It questions the economic logic and effectiveness of government policies aimed at reducing inequality while refuting the use of taxation to promote equality. Using China as an example, the book shows how capitalism has evolved into an efficient wealth-creating machine bringing prosperity to millions.

A Brief History of Equality

A Brief History of Equality

Author: Thomas Piketty

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2022-04-19

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0674275888

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A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice A Public Books Best Book of the Year “A profound and optimistic call to action and reflection. For Piketty, the arc of history is long, but it does bend toward equality. There is nothing automatic about it, however: as citizens, we must be ready to fight for it, and constantly (re)invent the myriad of institutions that will bring it about. This book is here to help.” —Esther Duflo “A sustained argument for why we should be optimistic about human progress...[Piketty] has laid out a plan that is smart, thoughtful, and motivated by admirable political convictions.” —Gary Gerstle, Washington Post “Thomas Piketty helped put inequality at the center of political debate. Now, he offers an ambitious program for addressing it...This is political economy on a grand scale, a starting point for debate about the future of progressive politics.” —Michael J. Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit “[Piketty] argues that we’re on a trajectory of greater, not less, equality and lays out his prescriptions for remedying our current corrosive wealth disparities.” —David Marchese, New York Times Magazine It’s easy to be pessimistic these days. We know that inequality has increased dramatically over the past two generations. Its ravages are increasingly impossible to ignore. But the grand sweep of history gives us reasons for hope. In this short and surprisingly optimistic history of human progress, the world’s leading economist of inequality shows that over the centuries we have been moving, fitfully and inconsistently but inexorably, toward greater equality. Thomas Piketty guides us through the seismic movements that have made the modern world: the birth of capitalism, the age of revolution, imperialism, slavery, two world wars, and the building of the welfare state. He shows that through it all, societies have moved toward a more just distribution of income and assets, reducing racial and gender inequalities and offering greater access to health care, education, and the rights of citizenship. To keep moving, he argues, we need to commit to legal, social, fiscal, and educational systems that can make equality a lasting reality, while resisting the temptations of cultural separatism. At stake is the quality of life for billions of people. We know we can do better. But do we dare?


Book Synopsis A Brief History of Equality by : Thomas Piketty

Download or read book A Brief History of Equality written by Thomas Piketty and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2022-04-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice A Public Books Best Book of the Year “A profound and optimistic call to action and reflection. For Piketty, the arc of history is long, but it does bend toward equality. There is nothing automatic about it, however: as citizens, we must be ready to fight for it, and constantly (re)invent the myriad of institutions that will bring it about. This book is here to help.” —Esther Duflo “A sustained argument for why we should be optimistic about human progress...[Piketty] has laid out a plan that is smart, thoughtful, and motivated by admirable political convictions.” —Gary Gerstle, Washington Post “Thomas Piketty helped put inequality at the center of political debate. Now, he offers an ambitious program for addressing it...This is political economy on a grand scale, a starting point for debate about the future of progressive politics.” —Michael J. Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit “[Piketty] argues that we’re on a trajectory of greater, not less, equality and lays out his prescriptions for remedying our current corrosive wealth disparities.” —David Marchese, New York Times Magazine It’s easy to be pessimistic these days. We know that inequality has increased dramatically over the past two generations. Its ravages are increasingly impossible to ignore. But the grand sweep of history gives us reasons for hope. In this short and surprisingly optimistic history of human progress, the world’s leading economist of inequality shows that over the centuries we have been moving, fitfully and inconsistently but inexorably, toward greater equality. Thomas Piketty guides us through the seismic movements that have made the modern world: the birth of capitalism, the age of revolution, imperialism, slavery, two world wars, and the building of the welfare state. He shows that through it all, societies have moved toward a more just distribution of income and assets, reducing racial and gender inequalities and offering greater access to health care, education, and the rights of citizenship. To keep moving, he argues, we need to commit to legal, social, fiscal, and educational systems that can make equality a lasting reality, while resisting the temptations of cultural separatism. At stake is the quality of life for billions of people. We know we can do better. But do we dare?

Divested

Divested

Author: Ken-Hou Lin

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780190638344

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'Divested' documents how the ascendance of finance on Wall Street, Main Street, and in households is a fundamental cause of economic inequality in the United States. This wide-ranging and comprehensive account demonstrates the many ways financial sector has reshaped the economy, leaving the average American adrift in a world driven by the logic of finance and the maximisation of profit.


Book Synopsis Divested by : Ken-Hou Lin

Download or read book Divested written by Ken-Hou Lin and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Divested' documents how the ascendance of finance on Wall Street, Main Street, and in households is a fundamental cause of economic inequality in the United States. This wide-ranging and comprehensive account demonstrates the many ways financial sector has reshaped the economy, leaving the average American adrift in a world driven by the logic of finance and the maximisation of profit.