If You’re an Egalitarian, Why Do You Want to Be the Boss of the Poor? Independence and Liberal-Egalitarian Theories of Justice

Karl Widerquist

Chapter Chapter 8 in Independence, Propertylessness, and Basic Income, 2013, pp 145-169 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract By far the largest school of thought in contemporary political theory is liberal-egalitarianism. Recently, many egalitarians have been very concerned with improving the living standards of people at the bottom but often in the context of a mandatory-participation economy. This section examines three egalitarian theorists, Elizabeth Anderson, Stuart White, and John Rawls.3 Anderson and White both specifically endorse mandatory participation. Rawls is less clear. Although some of his writings provide good arguments for voluntary participation, he seems to come down on the side of mandatory participation all things considered. This chapter examines arguments for and against voluntary participation in these three authors, and argues that a mandatory-participation economy does not live up to liberal-egalitarian ideals.

Keywords: Ideal Theory; Social Cooperation; Basic Income; Social Project; Exit Option (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:etbchp:978-1-137-31309-6_9

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DOI: 10.1057/9781137313096_9

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