Piketty delivered the keynote address at the TASC (Think-tank for Action on Social Change) annual conference in Croke Park, Dublin in June 2014. In association with TASC, History Hub presents an exclusive video recording of the presentation by Piketty, based on his acclaimed book.
http://historyhub.ie/thomas-piketty-capital-twenty-first-century
About Thomas Piketty:
Thomas Piketty is professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics. He has produced important historical and theoretical work on the interaction between economic development and the distribution of income and wealth. His work emphasizes the role of political and fiscal institutions in the historical evolution of the distribution of income and wealth.
On capital in the 21st century:
In Capital in the 21st Century, Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, dating back to the 18th century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have avoided inequality on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not changed the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades after World War II. The main driver of inequality – the tendency for returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth – today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that fuel discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends do not happen by chance. Political action has reduced dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and it could happen again. Capital in the 21st Century reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today. (via Harvard University Press)
Praise of capital in the 21st century:
“It is safe to say that Capital in the 21st Century, the magnum opus of French economist Thomas Piketty, will be the most important economics book of the year – and perhaps of the decade. Piketty, arguably the world's foremost expert on income and wealth inequality, does more than document the increasing concentration of income in the hands of a small economic elite. It also powerfully demonstrates that we are on the path back to "patrimonial capitalism", in which the top of the economy is dominated not only by wealth, but also by inherited wealth, in which birth counts more than birth. effort and talent. . »-Paul Krugman, The New York Times
“An extraordinary sweep of history supported by remarkably detailed data and analysis… Piketty's economic analysis and historical evidence are breathtaking. » – Robert B. Reich, The Guardian
About TASC:
TASC (Think-tank for Action on Social Change) is an independent progressive think tank whose primary focus is economic equality and democratic accountability. As a public education charity (CHY 14778), TASC seeks to raise the level of public knowledge about public policy, politics, economics, culture, environment and related areas, in order to encourage a more egalitarian, democratic and inclusive society.
TASC's mission is to produce policy analysis and present evidence-based proposals to achieve a more equal and thriving society with accountable government and strong, accountable public engagement. TASC's work focuses in particular on proposals to reduce the high and persistent level of economic inequality in Ireland and to develop the genuine participation of citizens in decisions that affect them and their society, as well as an engagement comprehensive to promote social equality and non-discrimination, including nine grounds in the Equal Status Acts 2000-2011. To find out more about TASC, visit www.tasc.ie
TASC Annual Conference:
Building on Thomas Piketty's keynote address at the annual conference, this year's TASC Annual Lecture will be delivered by Professor Brian Nolan (University of Oxford). The event will take place at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland on November 20, 2014, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event is free. To register for this event, please email [email protected]
Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.
