The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx

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David Lay Williams

The Greatest of All Plagues

How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx

David Lay Williams

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Princeton University Pres
01 January 2025

Social & political philosophy; Political science & theory; Economics & Business; Economic systems & structures; Economic history

How the great political thinkers have persistently warned against the dangers of economic inequality.

Economic inequality is one of the most daunting challenges of our time, with public debate often turning to questions of whether it is an inevitable outcome of economic systems and what, if anything, can be done about it. But why, exactly, should inequality worry us? The Greatest of All Plagues demonstrates that this underlying question has been a central preoccupation of some of the most eminent political thinkers of the Western intellectual tradition.

David Lay Williams shares bold new perspectives on the writings and ideas of Plato, Jesus, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx. He shows how they describe economic inequality as a source of political instability and a corrupter of character and soul, and how they view unchecked inequality as a threat to their most cherished values, such as justice, faith, civic harmony, peace, democracy, and freedom. Williams draws invaluable insights into the societal problems generated by what Plato called 'the greatest of all plagues', and examines the solutions employed through the centuries.

An eye-opening work of intellectual history, The Greatest of All Plagues recovers a forgotten past for some of the most timeless books in the Western canon, revealing how economic inequality has been a paramount problem throughout the history of political thought.

By: David Lay Williams
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm,
ISBN: 9780691171975
ISBN 10: 0691171971
Pages: 424
Publication Date: 01 January 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

David Lay Williams is professor of political science at DePaul University. He is the author of Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment and Rousseau's 'Social Contract': An Introduction.

Reviews for The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx

""Impressive…[Williams] shows that such wildly different figures all saw economic inequality as a grave political threat….He makes a persuasive case that these thinkers were right to be so troubled, and that we still have much to learn from their arguments and proposals….a welcome reminder that exploring the history of philosophy can also be an inquiry into the present world.""---Nick Romeo, Washington Post ""Excellent.""---Samuel Moyn, The Nation ""A Magnum Opus.""---Lilly Goren, New Books Network ""I just loved the sweep of this book. It is a really comprehensive analysis of inequality in the thought of major figures in the history of political thought. . . . It’s a great contribution.""---Jeffrey Church, Political Theory Review podcast ""Interesting and useful."" * Choice *