In his latest book, which forms the basis of this lecture, Guido Alfani offers a history of the rich and the super-rich in the West, examining who they were, how they accumulated their wealth and what role they played in society. His account offers a novel perspective on current debates about wealth and income disparity.
In case you missed it, a recording of the event is available here.
Meet our speaker and chair
Guido Alfani is Professor of Economic History at Bocconi University, Milan. His areas of interest include economic history and demography, with a focus on long-term dynamics, on economic inequality and social mobility, and on the history of epidemics and pandemics. In 2011, he was awarded an ERC Starting Research Grant for the project EINITE-Economic Inequality across Italy and Europe, 1300-1800. Then in 2016, he was awarded an ERC Consolidator Research Grant for the project SMITE-Social Mobility and Inequality across Italy and Europe, 1300-1800. His latest book is As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West.
Neil Cummins is Professor of Economic History in the Department of Economic History at LSE. His research interests cover the origin of modern economic and demographic behaviour, fertility decline and social mobility.
The Department of Economic History (@LSEEcHist) is one of the world's leading centres for research and teaching economic history. It is home to a huge breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise ranging from the medieval period to the current century.
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