Is inequality closing down our concern for others?

Written By: - Date published: 4:31 pm, February 13th, 2008 - 1 comment
Categories: articles, tax - Tags: ,

Jenny Russel of the Guardian writes, “As the middle classes feel the pain of comparison with the super-rich, we lose all enthusiasm for the common good”.

The rise of the super-rich, and their capacity to outbid others in the competition for houses, schools, space and possessions, has produced a new definition of success. It is one that excludes whole swaths of professionals. Doctors, publishers, managers and academics who began their careers in the expectation that they would lead comfortable lives and feel proud of their social position are now experiencing a sharp sense of dislocation. But that experience isn’t leading, as one might expect, to a generalised support for greater equality. Instead it’s frequently giving rise to a sense that individuals must fight to preserve what they have at all costs.

Read the whole article.

One comment on “Is inequality closing down our concern for others? ”

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  1. Phil 1
    14 February 2008 at 10:16 am

    Quite interesting. I imagine this kind of thing is the bread-and-butter of psychological economics… kind of like a proof of concept for the ‘prisoners dilema’ and other game theory, discussed in under-grad Economics

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