For far too long economists have sought to define themselves in terms of their supposedly scientific methods. In fact, those methods rely on an immoderate use of mathematical models, which are frequently no more than an excuse for occupying the terrain and masking the vacuity of the content.
Thomas PikettyThe principal mechanism for convergence at the international as well as the domestic level is the diffusion of knowledge.
Thomas PikettyI certainly agree that capital is not a one-dimensional object, and that the return on capital takes very different forms for different assets or different people.
Thomas PikettyOver a long period of time, the main force in favor of greater equality has been the diffusion of knowledge and skills.
Thomas PikettyIndeed, the distribution of wealth is too important an issue to be left to economists, sociologists, historians, and philosophers.
Thomas PikettyContrary to a tenacious myth, France is not owned by California pension funds or the Bank of China, any more than the United States belongs to Japanese and German investors. The fear of getting into such a predicament is so strong today that fantasy often outstrips reality. The reality is that inequality with respect to capital is a far greater domestic issue than it is an international one.
Thomas Piketty