idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Grafik: idw-Logo

idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft

Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
03/27/2023 15:43

The Deserving Rich – A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis of the (Re-)Production of German Wealth

Dr. Japhet Johnstone Stabsstelle Kommunikation und Marketing
Freie Universität Berlin

    A new interdisciplinary research project featuring a collaboration between Freie Universität Berlin and TU Dortmund University is analyzing wealth and its disparity in Germany

    The researchers aim to take a close look at the country’s inheritance tax policies and economic elite. To do so, they will be examining discourses and narratives on “deserved” and “undeserved” wealth in Germany. This interdisciplinary project combines socio-political, philosophical, and empirical research approaches. It is set to be completed over the span of four years and is titled “The Deserving Rich – A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis of the (Re-)Production of (German) Wealth.” The Volkswagen Foundation is supporting the project with a grant of 800,000 euros. The project’s team is made up of philosophers Professor Stefan Gosepath from Freie Universität Berlin’s Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS)” and Professor Christian Neuhäuser from TU Dortmund University, as well as political scientist and economist Professor Philipp Lepenies and political science researcher Martyna Berenika Linartas also from SCRIPTS.

    “Extreme wealth disparity poses a threat to liberal democracies, the welfare state, social cohesion,” says Gosepath. According to the researchers, a better understanding of the (re-)production of wealth means first understanding how it is justified and how it is passed down through generations. The team is scrutinizing the legitimacy of such systems and is introducing the term “deserving rich” – analogous to Georg Simmel’s analysis of the “deserving poor.” They are particularly interested in asking how and in what way different narratives can explain the (re-)production of wealth in Germany.

    The project focuses on Germany as an empirical case study of the genesis of wealth – the country sees a yearly cumulative inheritance estate of roughly 400 billion euros. “This staggering amount leaves no room for doubt that we’re in the middle of an all-time inheritance high,” says Linartas. The project team wants to raise awareness of these developments and their importance for liberal democracies as well as increase their visibility in scientific research and public debate.


    Contact for scientific information:

    Martyna Berenika Linartas, Freie Universität Berlin, Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS),” Email: martyna.linartas@ungleichheit.info


    More information:

    http://portal.volkswagenstiftung.de/search/projectDetails.do?ref=9C202, Volkswagen Foundation


    Images

    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists, Scientists and scholars
    Economics / business administration, Philosophy / ethics, Politics
    transregional, national
    Cooperation agreements, Research projects
    English


     

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).