Book review: The Spirit Level 書籍摘要: 社會不平等
The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone
《社會不平等：為何國家愈富裕，社會問題愈多？》
by Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett
This book is about the limitations of economic growth in improving a society. The authors’ main aim is to show that human societies are happier and healthier when there is greater income equality between people, not just when there is economic growth. 這本書是關於經濟增長在改善社會方面的局限性。作者指出,當人們之間收入更加平等時, 而不只是在經濟增長的時候, 人類社會會更快樂、更健康。
Using statistics from 23 of the richest countries in the world, as well as data from the American states, the authors show that wealth or GDP alone does not bring the most benefits for a society. 作者利用世界上23個最富有國家的統計數位以及美國各州的數據,表明僅靠財富或GDP並不能給一個社會帶來最大的好處。
To start with, different countries’ life expectancies are analysed. From the graph below, we can see there is a strong correlation between a country’s national income and life expectancy. 首先,分析了不同國家的預期壽命。從下圖中,我們可以看到一個國家的國民收入和預期壽命之間存在很強的相關性.
But only until the average income reaches around $25,000 per person—after that, increases in life expectancy start to level off. 但是,只有在人均收入達到每人25,000美元左右——也就是說越過這種財富水平之後,預期壽命的差異性變化不大。
Conversely, it is shown that when there is more income disparity between people in a country, life expectancy decreases.
然而,當同一國家人民之間的收入差距更大時,預期壽命就會降低。
The authors then look at a variety of factors to measure the levels of health and social problems within a country: life expectancy, teenage births, obesity, mental illness, homicides, imprisonment rates, mistrust, social mobility and education.
作者觀察各種因素來衡量一個國家的人民健康和社會問題的程度,諸如:預期壽命、少女出生、肥胖、精神疾病、兇殺、監禁率、不信任、社會流動性和教育。
These findings are compiled to create an index of the level of health and social problems for each country.
透過彙整這些發現以建立每個國家的人民健康及社會問題程度的指數。
The graph below shows the relationship between national income and the levels of health and social problems:
這張圖顯示了國民收入與健康和社會問題水準之間的關係:
Health and social problems are only weakly related to national average income among rich countries.
However, the graph below shows the relationship between a country’s level of income inequality and the level of health and social problems.
然而,這張圖顯示了一個國家的收入不平等程度與健康和社會問題之間的關係。
Here, quite clearly there is a correlation. More unequal countries have higher rates of crime, mental illness and obesity, for example, whilst countries that are more equal, e.g. Japan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, score much better across the board.
很顯然地,這些是具有關聯性的。例如,收入不平等國家的犯罪、精神疾病和肥胖率較高,然而日本、挪威、瑞典、芬蘭等收入較平等國家的犯罪率則相對低。
In short, economic growth no longer improves quality of life. To improve our quality of life, we need to stop focusing on wealth and start focusing more on community life and how we relate to each other.
簡而言之,經濟增長不再提高生活品質。為了改善我們的生活質量,我們需要停止關注財富,並且開始更加地關注社區生活以及我們與其他人之間的關係。
Although inequality is still increasing, as it has been for some time, if we can find ways to decrease inequality, we will see a huge range of benefits across a variety of factors, from increased levels of trust within societies, to decreased levels of mental illness, obesity and prison populations.
儘管收入不平等仍在增加,但如果我們能找到減少不平等的方法,我們將看到各方面皆能受惠於此,包括社會內部信任程度的提高、精神疾病水準下降、肥胖和監獄人口減少。
What can be done to increase income equality? The authors suggest measures such as taxation and benefits, as is common in the Scandinavian countries, or narrowing the differences in incomes before any redistribution, similar to in Japan.
可以做些什麼來提高收入平等?作者建議採取如斯堪的那維亞國家很常見的徵稅和社會福利等措施,又或者類似於日本縮小再分配前的收入差異等舉措。
This was an eye-opening read that uses some convincing evidence to confirm what a lot of people already feel intuitively.
這是一個令人大開眼界的讀物,使用一些令人信服的證據來證實很多人已經直覺的感覺。
你覺得這些發現怎麼樣? 可以讓我知道！
You can see Richard Wilkinson’s TedTalk: How Economic Inequality Harms Societies.
