A New Yorker Best Book of 2024 A History Today Book of the Year "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 and galvanizing indictment of the world’s uber-rich that boldly argues
for a cap on wealth from 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? As democracies weaken our climate becomes
increasingly unpredictable and inequality worsens many of us feel that the obvious answer is
no – but what can we do about it? Economist and philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has long written
and argued for the principle she calls "limitarianism" – a “common sense” (Jia Tolentino) case
against extreme wealth which posits that a considered cap on one’s individual wealth is an
urgent ethnical concern that will ultimately lead to healthier more democratic societies. In
this “provocative consideration of extreme wealth accumulation” (The New Yorker) Robeyns
ignites an urgent debate about wealth and when how and why to limit it calling into question
the legitimacy of capitalism and neoliberalism and inviting us to a radical reimagining of our
world.
