The concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been a long-standing idea in the realm of wealth redistribution, with its roots tracing back to the notion of equal sharing of fertile land or territory. Over time, this idea has evolved to focus on the redistribution of communal wealth generated by society as a whole. The core premise of UBI is that the production of value is a shared, communal effort, and therefore, the value produced belongs to everyone equally. This idea has been championed by various philosophers and economists, including Karl Marx and Friedrich Hayek, who argued that some form of social minimum guarantee is necessary for those who cannot escape poverty by their own means.
One of the most compelling liberal cases for UBI comes from Belgian philosopher Philippe Van Parijs, who argues that all members of society must have sufficient freedom to pursue their conception of a good life. He proposes a model of society where individuals are divided into two categories: “Crazies” who find fulfillment in work and “Lazies” who prefer leisure activities. Van Parijs suggests that a UBI would require a transfer of wealth from the former to the latter, but argues that this transfer is justified as the “Lazies” provide a service to the “Crazies” by allowing them to pursue their desired level of productivity.
To illustrate this idea, Van Parijs uses the analogy of plots of land, where individuals are entitled to a plot of land by right, but may need to work on additional plots to achieve their desired level of productivity. In this scenario, the individual would pay rent to the owner of the additional plot, representing the basis for UBI. Van Parijs explores various options for a taxation base to fund UBI, including inheritance, technology, and jobs. He argues that jobs can be seen as a common pool resource, where holding a job is an asset that not everyone has, and that those who hold jobs owe an economic rent to those who do not.
Ultimately, Van Parijs concludes that a UBI is necessary to provide equal opportunities for all members of society to pursue their conception of a good life. He argues that this can be achieved through a blanket tax solution on all work-related transfers, which would provide a justified base to fund UBI. The idea of UBI is not limited to any specific political agenda, but rather is a solution to tackle unequal opportunities and provide a social safety net for all. As Van Parijs so aptly puts it, “any liberal society that wants to offer equal opportunities to pursue the good life, whatever that may be, has an inherent responsibility to feed the surfers, no matter how little work they may do.” By providing a UBI, we can ensure that everyone has the means to pursue their passions and interests, regardless of their employment status.
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