URPP Public lecture by Guido Alfani

Who were the rich, in history, and how did they obtain their wealth? Did they play the same role in society, and were they perceived in the same manner, in the past as today? And what about wealth itself – how concentrated was it across time, and what is the connection between individual paths of enrichment and overall wealth inequality? This public lecture tries to address these questions relying upon a recently-published book, As Gods Among Men. A History of the Rich in the West (PUP). Covering the last thousand years, with frequent incursions into antiquity, and integrating recent research on economic inequality, the book highlights —despite the different paths to wealth in different eras—fundamental continuities in the behavior of the rich and public attitudes towards wealth across Western history. It also offers a novel perspective on current debates about wealth and income disparity.

As Gods among Men argues that the position of the rich and especially the super-rich in Western society has always been intrinsically fragile; their very presence has inspired social unease. In the Middle Ages, an excessive accumulation of wealth was considered sinful; the rich were expected not to appear to be wealthy. Eventually, the rich were deemed useful when they used their wealth to help their communities in times of crisis. Yet in the twenty-first century the rich and the super-rich—their wealth largely preserved through the Great Recession and COVID-19—have been exceptionally reluctant to contribute to the common good in times of crisis, rejecting even such stopgap measures as temporary tax increases. History suggests that this is a troubling development—for the rich, and for everyone else.

This lecture is open to the public.

Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Venue: SOF G-21

Guido Alfani is a Professor of Economic History at Bocconi University in Milan. His research focuses on economic and social history as well as historical demography. His main interests include economic and social inequality, social mobility, Italy’s economic development during the Early Modern period, mortality crises such as plagues and famines, and social alliance systems and networks. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the ERC Consolidator Grant project SMITE – Social Mobility and Inequality across Italy and Europe, 1300-1800. Previously, he led the ERC-funded project EINITE – Economic Inequality across Italy and Europe, 1300-1800.

Zoom link available on request

Take tram 9 or 5 to "Kantonsschule".  The lecture hall is located at Schönberggasse 1 (Department of Economics).