
Basic Income
A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Basic Income
A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy
About this book
"Powerful as well as highly engaging—a brilliant book."
—Amartya Sen
A Times Higher Education Book of the Week
It may sound crazy to pay people whether or not they're working or even looking for work. But the idea of providing an unconditional basic income to everyone, rich or poor, active or inactive, has long been advocated by such major thinkers as Thomas Paine, John Stuart Mill, and John Kenneth Galbraith. Now, with the traditional welfare state creaking under pressure, it has become one of the most widely debated social policy proposals in the world. Basic Income presents the most acute and fullest defense of this radical idea, and makes the case that it is our most realistic hope for addressing economic insecurity and social exclusion.
"They have set forth, clearly and comprehensively, what is probably the best case to be made today for this form of economic and social policy."
—Benjamin M. Friedman, New York Review of Books
"A rigorous analysis of the many arguments for and against a universal basic income, offering a road map for future researchers."
—Wall Street Journal
"What Van Parijs and Vanderborght bring to this topic is a deep understanding, an enduring passion and a disarming optimism."
—Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Prologue
- 1. The Instrument of Freedom
- 2. Basic Income and Its Cousins
- 3. Prehistory: Public Assistance and Social Insurance
- 4. History: From Utopian Dream to Worldwide Movement
- 5. Ethically Justifiable? Free Riding Versus Fair Shares
- 6. Economically Sustainable? Funding, Experiments, and Transitions
- 7. Politically Achievable? Civil Society, Parties, and the Back Door
- 8. Viable in the Global Era? Multi-Level Basic Income
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgments
- Index