Inequality, Sustainability and Piketty’s Capital

Nuno Martins

No 5, Working Papers de Economia (Economics Working Papers) from Católica Porto Business School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Abstract: In the present article I address the implications of Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the Twenty-First Century for our understanding of inequality and sustainability. I argue that although Piketty’s contribution is a significant one which has the potential to lead economic analysis in a more fruitful direction, its potential is constrained by its reliance on marginalist theory. The difficulties in addressing adequately the themes of inequality and sustainability spring from the assumptions employed in marginalist theory, which have been proven inconsistent in several debates throughout the history of economic thought. Once the constraints posed by marginalist theory are removed from Piketty’s contribution, its potential becomes much greater when addressing inequality, and has also important implications for such topics as sustainability, justice, and the environment.

Keywords: Inequality; Sustainability; Cambridge Controversies; Capitalism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B41 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 14 pages
Date: 2014-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-hme, nep-hpe, nep-mfd and nep-pke
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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