The instrument of freedom -- Basic income and its cousins -- Prehistory: public assistance and social insurance -- History: from utopian dream to worldwide movement -- Ethically justifiable? Free riding versus fair shares -- Economically sustainable? Funding, experiments and transitions -- Politically achievable? Civil society, parties and the back door -- Viable in the global era? Multi-level basic income
Summary
Providing a basic income to everyone, rich or poor, active or inactive, was advocated by Paine, Mill, and Galbraith but the idea was never taken seriously. Today, with the welfare state creaking, it is one of the world's most widely debated proposals. Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght present a comprehensive defense of this radical idea.-- Provided by publisher
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-372) and index
