Psychologist: Capitalism has three possible futures

In a new book, associate professor Séamus Power outlines three realistic scenarios for the future of the world economy – ranging from escalating inequality to fairer forms of capitalism.
Photo: Dmytro Demidko, Unsplash

Economic inequality is growing year on year and is increasingly shaping politics, the global economy, and people’s everyday lives. This trend is causing concern and fueling speculation about where humanity is heading.

In his new book, ‘Inequality – The View from Manywheres’, Séamus Power seeks to shift the debate away from simple dichotomies between rich and poor. Instead, he outlines three different directions in which the world’s economic system might move.

‘The three plausible futures for capitalism and inequality that I present can help us to think in terms of alternatives and decide what kind of world we actually want,’ he says.

Three futures of capitalism

The first scenario is a continuation of current trends, in which the richest become ever richer, leaving the rest of us behind.

‘Rising inequality can lead to political polarization, social unrest, and greater global instability. In short, such a development could create a more conflict-ridden and unjust world,’ assesses Séamus Power.

The second scenario is the opposite: a strong political reaction, where the ambition is economic equality at any cost. However, according to Séamus Power, such solutions risk coming at a significant cost in the form of reduced freedom, weaker economic dynamism, and can prevent the world’s poorest from escaping poverty.

The third scenario – which Séamus Power himself highlights as the most promising – is pluralistic capitalism.

‘Here, the aim is not to eliminate inequality entirely. It is about creating economic systems that are fairer, providing a means to escape poverty, and give all people better opportunities to realize their potential,’ he explains.

Perception of fairness is paramount

In his research, Séamus Power combines psychological, economic, and philosophical perspectives. The aim is to understand inequality as more than just a matter of figures.

The researcher’s key points

Séamus A. Power identifies three possible futures for capitalism and inequality:

  • Maintaining the status quo may lead to increased polarization and social unrest.
  • Total equality may have negative consequences for freedom, fairness, and poverty reduction.
  • Pluralist capitalism seeks a balance between growth, justice, and human opportunity.

Perceived justice plays a central role in political responses to inequality.

The focus should shift from inequality alone to poverty reduction and human development.

His research shows that it is not necessarily the degree of inequality in itself, but how it is perceived, that drives political conflicts and social unrest. In addition, he highlights that protests do not only arise during times of economic crisis, but can also emerge during periods of prosperity if the sense of fairness does not keep pace.

Rather than merely measuring inequality in terms of money, Séamus Power focuses on what people can actually do and become in their lives – inspired by the so-called ‘human capabilities’ approach. Here, a society is assessed not only on the basis of economic growth, but on whether people have real opportunities, for example, to pursue an education, lead a healthy life, and participate actively in society.

‘If we want to understand and solve the problems created by economic inequality, we cannot simply analyze figures. We also need to take into account people’s sense of justice – and this is closely linked to whether people have real opportunities in their lives. We need more focus on lifting more people out of poverty and ensuring that all people can live a dignified life,’ he argues.

Methodologically, the book draws on a broad spectrum of research – from large global datasets to qualitative analyses of how people experience inequality in their everyday lives. This combination makes it possible both to map out the major trends and to understand how inequality is actually felt in people’s lives.

A new framework for the inequality debate

With his three future scenarios, Séamus Power seeks to broaden the public debate, which is often stuck between either criticizing capitalism or defending it.

‘The solution to the inequality crisis is not to choose a single universal model, but to develop different forms of capitalism that suit different societies and values,’ he says, elaborating:

‘We need to move beyond a narrow economic understanding of inequality and focus more on justice, poverty reduction, and the achievement of human opportunities,’ concludes Séamus Power.

‘Inequality – The View from Manywheres’ is published by Cambridge University Press. Read more about the book here.

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