The Normative Argument for an Unconditional Basic Income

This chapter critically discusses the justification of an unconditional basic income (UBI) from a normative perspective. It centers around the concept of “real freedom for all” by van Parijs (Real freedom for all. What (if anything) can justify Capitalism? Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1995) and its conclusion of paying the highest possible UBI to everyone in society. Although the discussion about basic income has a long tradition within the literature of political philosophy, van Parijs’ contribution is regarded as the most systematic work in this area. Following his line of reasoning, an UBI is the consequence of the claim to increase real freedom of the least-advantaged members of society while remaining neutral to their different life plans. While discussing van Parijs’ claim of an UBI to maximize real freedom, the focus shifts to Dworkin’s approach to resource egalitarianism that is central to this claim. It relies on a distribution of resources that is both ambition-sensitive and endowment-insensitive. Afterwards, ways of financing an UBI are studied from a normative perspective and the operationalization of this concept is discussed. The chapter ends by discussing frequent points of criticism against an UBI such as that an UBI involves and fosters exploitation, parasitism, and the loss of reciprocity.