John Rawls's Theory of Justice and Basic Income

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 57-88
Author(s):  
Kwangsu Mok
Keyword(s):  
Basic Income ◽  
Theory Of Justice

Markets, desert, and reciprocity

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lister
Keyword(s):  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Marginal Product ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Marginal Productivity ◽  
Competitive System ◽  
Justice As Fairness ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Laissez Faire

This article traces John Rawls’s debt to Frank Knight’s critique of the ‘just deserts’ rationale for laissez-faire in order to defend justice as fairness against some prominent contemporary criticisms, but also to argue that desert can find a place within a Rawlsian theory of justice when desert is grounded in reciprocity. The first lesson Rawls took from Knight was that inheritance of talent and wealth are on a moral par. Knight highlighted the inconsistency of objecting to the inheritance of wealth while taking for granted the legitimacy of unequal reward based on differential productive capacity. Rawls agreed that there was an inconsistency, but claimed that it should be resolved by rejecting both kinds of inequality, except to the extent they benefitted the worst off. The second lesson Rawls learned from Knight was that the size of one’s marginal product depends on supply and demand, which depend on institutional decisions that cannot themselves be made on the basis of the principle of rewarding marginal productivity. The article claims that this argument about background justice overstates its conclusion, because the dependence of contribution on institutional setup is not total. Proposals for an unconditional basic income may therefore have a strike against them, as far as a reciprocity-based conception of desert is concerned. If we follow Knight’s analysis of the competitive system, however, so too does the alternative of leaving determination of income up to the market.

Kann das Grundeinkommen die Arbeitslosigkeit abbauen?

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Steinvorth
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Unemployment Compensation ◽  
Right To Work ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Right

AbstractI agree with Van Parijs that a theory of justice must meet the condition of indicating institutions that eliminate compulsory unemployment, but argue that his basic income is another form of unemployment compensation with all the disadvantages such compensations suffer from. In particular, it does not advance real freedom, but is liable to contribute to narrow political ends. I indicate an alternative and explicate, since Van Parijs disregards it, the right to work and its basis in the common property of natural resources. Finally, I compare the two competing conceptions of a good life that underlie his recommendation of a basic income and my rejection of it.

Meaningful Work, Worthwhile Life, and Self-Respect: Reexamination of the Rawlsian Perspective on Basic Income in a Property-Owning Democracy

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Fukuma
Keyword(s):  
John Rawls ◽  
Bargaining Power ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Wage Labor ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Social Basis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Primary Goods

AbstractAs is well known, John Rawls opposes the idea and policy of basic income. However, this paper posits that his view of self-respect and activity could accommodate its implementation. Rawls lists the social basis of self-respect in social primary goods as the most important good, but does not assume that it is derived from wage labor alone. It appears that his theory of justice aims to criticize the work-centered (wage-labor) society and to overcome it. Besides, as Rawls desires, for our work to be meaningful and our life worthwhile, we should institutionalize basic income because it can improve workers’ bargaining power and their attitude toward work, in addition to enhancing their leisure time. In this paper, by considering the normative relationship between meaningful work, worthwhile life, and self-respect from a Rawlsian perspective, I inquire into the potential of basic income in his well-ordered society.

Why Mothers Should Be Fed

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Basic Income ◽  
Family Work ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Right To Work ◽  
The Right

AbstractThis paper reconstructs Van Parijs’ core argument for an unconditional basic income and presents three objections against it. The first and most theoretical objection attacks the egalitarian basis of Van Parijs’ argument and suggests an alternative, humanitarian theory of justice. The second and third more concrete objections accuse Van Parijs of selling-out the right to work as well as the right to recognition of work, for example of family work. The conclusion drawn from these three objections, however, is not that an unconditional basic income cannot be defended. Instead the paper ends by indicating an alternative, humanitarian argument for an unconditional basic income.

Pandemic speeds largest test yet of universal basic income

Nature ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 583 (7817) ◽  
pp. 502-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Basic Income

A time for universal basic income?

2020 ◽  
Vol 248 (3313-3314) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Donna Lu
Keyword(s):  
Basic Income

The State’s Role in Ensuring Fair Income Distribution in Vietnam Today: Some Issues from the Theory of Justice as Fairness by John Rawls

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-195
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
John Rawls ◽  
Social Stability ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Justice As Fairness ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Economic Philosophy ◽  
The Relationship

Fairness in income distribution is a factor that both motivates employees and contributes to maintaining social stability. In Vietnam, fair income distribution has been studied from various perspectives. In this article, through the analysis and synthesis of related documents and evidence, and from the perspective of economic philosophy, the author applies John Rawls’s Theory of Justice as Fairness to analyze some issues arising from the implementation of the state’s role in ensuring fair income distribution from 1986 to present. These are unifying the perception of fairness in income distribution; solving the relationship between economic efficiency and social equality; ensuring benefits for the least-privileged people in society; and controlling income. On that basis, the author makes some recommendations to enhance the state’s role in ensuring fair income distribution in Vietnam. Received 11thNovember 2019; Revised 10thApril 2020; Accepted 20th April 2020

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