The concept of the center dominates the political debate. But what exactly is meant by the center - socially, politically, geographically? Where is it located? Who belongs to it? And why has it always been associated with the idea of "right measure"? In this book, Herfried Münkler conducts a reassessment of the center, showing how the notions of center and measure have developed - from Aristotle to Karl Marx to the current debate on greed, from the emergence of cities as centers of power to the shrinking middle class in 21st-century societies. "This is an important, bold book: It engages with the central questions of a society in transition." - Frankfurter Rundschau "Herfried Münkler writes confidently and is easy to read. Here speaks the clear voice of reason." - Süddeutsche Zeitung.