Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth

 
　　擁有經濟和哲學雙碩士的知名倫理學教授英格麗（Ingrid Robeyns）指出，我們生活在極不平等的世界，極端富裕人士擁有過於龐大且不斷擴張的財富，已危害到多數人的生活水準、威脅到民主，情況越來越極端且危險，她主張，該是施行「限制主義」的時候了！
 
　　作者長期研究她稱之為「限制主義」的原則，公開呼籲政府必須擬定新政策，設定每個人可享有資源的最大限度。「限制主義」已越來越受到重視，有人呼籲「對富人徵稅」，標語高喊著「政策失敗，才有億萬富翁」，但這些實際上是什麼意思呢？
 
　　本書深入淺出地從社會結構、政治、財經、環境和道德等各面向，闡述反對財富過於集中的原因，提出大膽且令人信服的論點，說明為何新政策不僅能促進公眾利益，同時也能讓富裕階層從中受惠，激發讀者對沒有超級富豪的新世界，一連串的想像與行動。(文/博客來編譯)

＂A powerful case for limitarianism--the idea that we should set a maximum on how much resources one individual can appropriate. A must-read!＂
--Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century

An original, bold, and convincing argument for a cap on wealth by the philosopher who coined the term ＂limitarianism.＂

How much money is too much? Is it ethical, and democratic, for an individual to amass a limitless amount of wealth, and then spend it however they choose? Many of us feel that the answer to that is no--but what can we do about it?

Ingrid Robeyns has long written and argued for the principle she calls ＂limitarianism＂--or the need to limit extreme wealth. This idea is gaining momentum in the mainstream - with calls to ＂tax the rich＂ and slogans like ＂every billionaire is a policy failure＂--but what does it mean in practice?

Robeyns explains the key reasons to support the case against extreme wealth:

 

• It keeps the poor poor and inequalities growing
• It’s often dirty money
• It undermines democracy
• It’s one of the leading causes of climate change

• Nobody actually deserves to be a millionaire
• There are better things to do with excess money
• The rich will benefit, too

This will be the first authoritative trade book to unpack the concept of a cap on wealth, where to draw the line, how to collect the excess and what to do with the money. In the process, Robeyns will ignite an urgent debate about wealth, one that calls into question the very forces we live by (capitalism and neoliberalism) and invites us to a radical reimagining of our world.

英格麗‧羅賓恩斯（Ingrid Robeyns）

　　擁有經濟和哲學雙碩士，於劍橋（Cambridge University）取得博士學位，專長性別平等和能力取向理論，現為荷蘭烏特勒支大學（Utrecht University）倫理學教授。

Ingrid Robeyns holds master degrees in economics and philosophy, and obtained her PhD for a thesis on gender inequality and the capability approach at Cambridge University. She currently holds the chair in ethics of institutions at Utrecht University. She previously served as the director of the Ethics Institute at Utrecht University, and as the first director of the Dutch Research School for Philosophy. In 2018, she was elected as a member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts. In September 2021, she will be awarded an Emma Goldman Award for her work on inequality studies and feminism by the FLAX foundation in Vienna. She lives in the Netherlands.