Inequality specialist Walter Scheidel gives lecture in Amsterdam

Renowned Stanford historian Walter Scheidel will give a public lecture in Amsterdam on Wednesday, April 11, on his much-discussed publication The Great Leveler, Violence and the History of Inequality. It is the first time Scheidel is speaking in the Netherlands about his book on inequality, which the Financial Times labeled as one of the best books of 2017. The lecture is organized by the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) at the Walloon Church.

Only calamity leads to equality. Scheidel draws the conclusion, based on figures covering four millennia, that economic inequality has always existed and only calamities, such as war and pandemics, have been able to close the gap. During the lecture in the capital, Scheidel will take the audience on a journey through the history of inequality. The historian also talks about the lessons society can learn from this to bring rich and poor closer together without bloodshed.

First public NIAS lecture
Scheidel’s lecture is NIAS’ first annual public lecture. Jan Willem Duyvendak, director NIAS: “The initiative stems from the conviction that sharing scientific knowledge across disciplines is more relevant than ever. Inequality, for example, is increasingly arousing unwillingness and protest in our society. Scheidel is a bridge builder. His knowledge in the fields of the humanities, the social sciences and the life sciences provides insight into the possibilities for counteracting inequality.”

Program

When: ? ?Wednesday, April 11
Where: ? The Waalse Church – Walenpleintje 159, 1012 JZ Amsterdam
15.45: ? ? Drop-in
16.00: ? ? Welcome by Jan Willem Duyvendak (Director NIAS)
16.10: ? ? ?Introduction by Jan Luiten van Zanden (Professor of Economic History at
History at the University of Utrecht)
16.25: ? ? ?Lecture by Walter Scheidel (Professor of History and Classics?
at Stanford University)?
17.15: ? ? ?drinks?
18.00: ? ? ?End of program

Language: ?English
Entry: ? Free of charge, registration required.
Register via: ? www.nias.knaw.nl/events/violence-history-inequality/
More information: ?www.nias.knaw.nl