Being Like a God – Wealth and Imagined Divinity

This article analyzes Guido Alfani’s As Gods Among Men and its interpretation of wealth concentration as a structural feature of Western history. Combining economic, political, and cultural analysis, Alfani traces the evolution of wealth from medieval landownership to modern finance and digital capitalism, showing how elites accumulated power and sought social legitimacy through religion, philanthropy, patronage, and taxation. The article highlights the enduring link between wealth and political influence and argues that contemporary inequality reflects the weakening of traditional mechanisms of redistribution and civic responsibility. Ultimately, the study presents extreme wealth as both a source of power and a recurring threat to democratic cohesion and social stability.