Is G.A. Cohen’s Egalitarian Ethos Consistent with Unconditional Basic Income?

Lucena de Andrés Julio ()
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Lucena de Andrés Julio: Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Basic Income Studies, 2024, vol. 19, issue 2, 287-306

Abstract: The egalitarian ethos, as formulated by G.A. Cohen, and the unconditional basic income are two proposals that a priori may seem incompatible. The reason is that Cohen’s ethos – aimed at reducing inequality without sacrificing efficiency or freedom- requires that individuals work hard in socially useful occupations without asking for any inequality-generating incentives. On the contrary, the UBI, as conceived by Van Parijs and van der Veen, consists of an income paid by the government to every full member of society regardless of their willingness to contribute to society in the form of work. In short, the ethos includes a productive requirement while the UBI has an unconditional character. However, if we introduce an absolute level of affluence above what occupational autonomy takes precedence over efficiency and if we broaden the range of socially useful contributions beyond formal employment, the tension between the egalitarian ethos and UBI will be alleviated.

Keywords: egalitarian ethos; unconditional basic income; freedom from toil; occupational freedom; the contribution-beyond-employment solution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1515/bis-2022-0024

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