How rich is too rich? In this episode, we revisit a conversation recorded at De Dépendance in 2024 with philosopher Ingrid Robeyns and economic historian Guido Alfani, two leading thinkers on wealth, inequality, and the history of capitalism.

The discussion took place on the occasion of the publication of Robeyns’ book Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth and Alfani’s As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West. Together, these books ask a pressing question: what happens when extreme riches become concentrated in the hands of a few?

In conversation, Robeyns and Alfani explore the moral, political, and historical case against extreme wealth. They discuss why today’s unprecedented concentration of riches poses a threat to democratic societies, how the role of the wealthy has changed over time, and whether placing limits on personal wealth could help build a fairer and more resilient society. Drawing on philosophy, economics, and history, they reflect on what inequality reveals about the kind of world we have created—and what it would take to imagine a different one.