Fri 19th March - How can we justify the inheritance tax?

In this week's Happy Hour, Oliver will inquire whether we can find justifications for the inheritance tax, a question recently debated in the UK general election campaign, taking it into a wider reflexion about filiation, merit and social mobility.

Please have a look at the background readings:

• A political analysis of the Conservatives' proposal to increase the inheritance tax threshold
  
• Thomas Piketty on the "Long run evolution of inheritance in France"
  
• Gordon Tullock in a justification of inheritance
  
• John Stuart Mill on the principles that should guide inheritance laws
  
• Some background on current UK inheritance tax legislation and on the debts left by a defunct
  

As usual, we will meet at 6pm over drinks and nibbles in STICERD common area.