Thomas Piketty: belief

Transcript context

…If the relationship between wealth and happiness is so diffuse, and I would agree it may be — so I’m happier than some billionaires I know — why worry so much about wealth inequality? Why not focus on inequality of well-being, which could be something quite different? Oh, yes. Ultimately, what I care about is access to fundamental goods like education, health, participation in the political life, participation in economic life. Ultimately, this is what I care about. Income and wealth per se are just a mechanism and tools and ways to go in this direction. But in the end, what’s really important for me is to have the highest possible opportunities and rights to access fundamental goods for everybody. This is all that matters. I see that in Paris, and I tend to think it’s cultural capital. Rents are very high. There are people who are not huge earners. They live in Paris. They enjoy Paris immensely, as they should. They have incredible cultural capital, amenities, smart people they can talk to. They’re partaking in those goods, yet there’s very high wealth inequality in Paris. You teach in London — super-high wealth inequality in London. You can live there very well if you do it smartly. Again, why not focus on cultural capital for individuals rather than the wealth?…

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