Why be concerned? Inequality and instability

Discusses two reasons to favor increased equality: first, from equalitarian values, and second, from the dangers of instability that inequality creates. The first section considers, and criticizes, some traditional defenses of inequality. The second section summarizes some recent writing on secular stagnation and the associated danger of bubbles and crashes. A point which does not seem to have been noticed, and that arises from the use of a Marxist definition of class, is that consumer lending from the capitalist to the working class creates an instability similar to the instability that arises from international lending when the lender and debtor countries are within a common currency union. Extends the discussion of equalitarian values, drawing on the literature of superfairness and related models. Following exposition in terms of numerical examples, a mathematical formalization is given.