’Extreme wealth is disastrous for society, democracy, and climate’

Prof Ingrid Robeyns An interest in her concept of 'limitarianism' is not foreign to Professor of Ethics of Institutions Ingrid Robeyns : (media) attention has been high since 2017. We made an overview, because what exactly does limitarianism mean? And why has Robeyns been campaigning for this concept for years? The moral wealth limit of limitarianism. "Extreme wealth undermines democracy, is incompatible with ecological urgency, is almost always undeserved, and harms the interests of everyone, the super-rich included." This is how De Wereld van Morgen (22 February 2021) summarised Robeyns' findings of research. At a stroke, it clarifies why Robeyns advocates limitarianism, the capping of wealth with a wealth limit. "Just as there is a poverty line." Where the line should be drawn is still under discussion. According to Robeyns, this is a moral and political issue, and several lines of reasoning are possible to determine that boundary. One possibility is to draw the line where wealth no longer adds to quality of life.