The Greatest of All Plagues
How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Published:29th Oct '24
Should be back in stock very soon
How the great political thinkers have persistently warned against the dangers of economic inequality
Economic inequality is one of the most daunting challenges of our time, with public debate often turning to questions of whether it is an inevitable outcome of economic systems and what, if anything, can be done about it. But why, exactly, should inequality worry us? The Greatest of All Plagues demonstrates that this underlying question has been a central preoccupation of some of the most eminent political thinkers of the Western intellectual tradition.
David Lay Williams shares bold new perspectives on the writings and ideas of Plato, Jesus, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx. He shows how they describe economic inequality as a source of political instability and a corrupter of character and soul, and how they view unchecked inequality as a threat to their most cherished values, such as justice, faith, civic harmony, peace, democracy, and freedom. Williams draws invaluable insights into the societal problems generated by what Plato called “the greatest of all plagues,” and examines the solutions employed through the centuries.
An eye-opening work of intellectual history, The Greatest of All Plagues recovers a forgotten past for some of the most timeless books in the Western canon, revealing how economic inequality has been a paramount problem throughout the history of political thought.
"Impressive…[Williams] shows that such wildly different figures all saw economic inequality as a grave political threat….He makes a persuasive case that these thinkers were right to be so troubled, and that we still have much to learn from their arguments and proposals….a welcome reminder that exploring the history of philosophy can also be an inquiry into the present world."---Nick Romeo, Washington Post
"Excellent."---Samuel Moyn, The Nation
"A Magnum Opus."---Lilly Goren, New Books Network
"I just loved the sweep of this book. It is a really comprehensive analysis of inequality in the thought of major figures in the history of political thought. . . . It’s a great contribution."---Jeffrey Church, Political Theory Review podcast
"Interesting and useful." * Choice *
"Williams wants to show that economic inequality isn’t some peculiar fixation of the 21st century that can be easily dismissed by those who fancy themselves defenders of the Western canon. And in that, he succeeds magnificently."---Ben Burgis, Compact Magazine
"Williams’ thinkers confront us with powerful arguments against inequality: it degrades civilisation because it rewards greed at the expense of the community, ultimately destroying any basis for social cooperation and respect for the rule of law."---Justin H. Vassallo, UnHerd
"The Greatest of All Plagues often makes for bracing reading. It succeeds in taking figures who many of us might think we are familiar with, and shows us that we didn’t know them that well at all. Williams shows that economic inequality is not only the greatest of all plagues — it is also one of the longest lasting, such that many of the most influential thinkers of several epochs felt called upon to condemn it."---Matt McManus, Jacobin
ISBN: 9780691171975
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
424 pages