Basic Income, Eco-logical Ethics, and Interdependent Well-Being Ecological Systems and Ethics of Interdependence (original) (raw)
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Social-Ecological Transformation and the Necessity of Universal Basic Income
Social Alternatives, 38(2), 39-46, 2019
This article surveys academic literature that argues for universal Basic Income (BI) on ecological grounds, and frames BI as a necessary (but not sufficient) measure to build sustainable, equal, and just societies. The ecological case for BI receives less emphasis than other justifications, such as the need to eradicate poverty, protect workers from precarious employment, advance social and political equality, and augment human freedom. This article also situates the green case for BI in broader and emerging academic literature on steady-state economics and de-growth. These are seen as requirements for averting further environmental degradation and ecological disasters, and for building truly sustainable and just societies. Conceptual frameworks that could underpin such a social-ecological transition include the capabilities approach formulated by Nussbaum, and the human needs framework advanced by Doyal and Gough. Finally, the article points to a series of public policy initiatives that are required, in addition to BI, to achieve sustainable and just societies. These policies encompass housing, food security, urban land use and planning, transportation, education, and health. It is argued that the public revenue to pay for these policy initiatives needs to be raised in ways that move us towards ecological sustainability and just economic redistribution.
Basic Income From an Ecological Perspective.
Basic Income Studies, Volume December 2009, Debate: The Green Case for Basic Income.
How is a basic income (BI) linked to growth and ecological sustainability? Should it be financed from more production, natural resource rents or green taxes? Should a BI be introduced globally rather than in the already rich countries? There is a case on equity grounds for linking a BI to ecological taxes and degrowth in the overconsuming societies, but to use BI as a tool for improving production in poverty struck regions.
Basic Income Studies
While basic income (BI) has long been advocated for its social benefits, some scholars also propose it in response to the ecological crises. However, the empirical evidence to support this position is currently lacking and the concept of an ecological BI (EBI) is underdeveloped. Part one of this paper attempts to develop such a concept, arguing that an EBI should seek to reduce aggregate material throughput, improve human needs satisfaction, reduce inequalities, rebalance productive activity towards social activities in the autonomous sphere, and promote societal values of cooperation and sufficiency. Part two examines how BI interventions consider the principles of an EBI in their designs and discusses what their findings infer about BI’s ecological credentials. The results find that while ecological considerations are largely absent from BI intervention designs, their findings suggest that interventions aligned with the principles of an EBI could play a role in addressing the ecol...
Fundaments of an Ecological Basic Income
Fundaments of an Ecological Basic Income, 2024
The present article debates the fundamental points of an Ecological UBI proposal. First, a literature review on Ecological/Environmental Ethics is brought up. Green Republicanism also sets up a theoretical foundation for an Ecological UBI. Besides, post-productivism and degrowth goals are imperative for humankind to deal with the present ecological urgencies, as seen in the UBI theory that is also brought up. Based on this literature review, the article proposes fundamental points to an Ecological UBI: (i) the funding should come from the taxation of resource extraction (not only fuel extraction) and income/wealth concentration; (ii) the coordination of different public policies to decommodify fundamental needs; (iii) the sufficiency of the Basic Income payment for the individual to have their basic needs satisfied without the necessity to work; (iv) the stimulation of regional/circular economies. Ecologism does not make it unfeasible for short-term environmental measures, also relevant concerning green and fair transition.
Universal Basic Income and the Natural Environment: Theory and Policy
Basic Income Studies, 2019
We analyze the environmental implications of basic income programs through literature review, government documents, pilot studies, and interviews eliciting expert knowledge. We consider existing knowledge and then use a grounded approach to produce theory on the relationship between a basic income guarantee and environmental protection/damage. We find that very little empirical or theoretical work has been done on this relationship and that theoretical arguments can be made for both positive and negative environmental impacts. Ultimately, this implies, the environmental impact of a basic income program will be dependent on program design. These insights allow us to generate a toolkit of policy proposals to assist in the development of green basic income programs via either conditions, additions, or complements.
Towards an ecology of care: Basic Income after the nation-state
Society Register
The following paper is about care1. It proposes a political vision to move towards a care-centred society that will allow the flourishing of everyone while keeping the planet inhabitable and thriving. For this utopian horizon that we name an ecology of care, we propose the creation of a Basic Income system that is constituted outside of and beyond the realm of the nation-state, as a means of changing humanity’s relationship to itself and transitioning from capitalism to a commons-based society. It argues for a disembedding of work—and the time allocated to it—from money, through a reformulation of the production of money in the form of an income distributed as an equal share to all those who are part of the planetary commons. Finally, it connects this Basic Income proposal with degrowth as a radical and necessary reformulation of society that considers its ecological roots and replaces the obsession with endless economic growth with the principle of taking care of people.
Introduction: Basic Income, Sustainability and Post-Productivism
Basic Income Studies, 2000
One category of political parties and groups consistently tends to be more favourably inclined towards basic income (BI) than others, namely those identifying with the green movement and post-growth ideals. A possible explanation for that connection is that the basic income proposal seems to fit particularly well into a post-productivist ideological space. The defining feature of a post-productivist welfare regime, which sets it apart from the familiar "productivist" cluster of liberal, corporatist and social-democratic models, is that its defence of universal social rights holds personal autonomy and disposable time rather than employment and high levels of economic growth as its core objectives .
The contemporary global economic and financial system is under severe pressure. This has induced widespread concerns, insecurity and discontent among the world population. Basic income is a measure rooted in a fundamentally different view on economics and the importance of economic security for human lives to flourish. The main arguments for basic income as advocated by the worldwide organisation, Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), are the eradication of poverty and hunger, the liberation of the individual from systemic conformity demands, the spark of creativity, diversity, and multiplicity, the empowerment of people to live the life they want, and the restoration of personal dignity. But the idea of basic income emerges from a Western philosophical view on the individual and the economy; a view that might not be compatible with other philosophical views and cultural perspectives. Using the trans-cultural methodology of Johan Galtung centred on the notion of basic needs in conjunction with development models and a concept of deep-culture, deep-nature and deep-structure, the purpose of this paper is to explore in-depth the philosophical and religious compatibilities of basic income as a truly global solution to counter the concerns, insecurities and discontents generated by the current global economic system. Furthermore, the paper seeks to investigate how non-Western religious and philosophical worldviews might help sharpen and enhance existing basic income arguments. Key words: Basic Income, Culture, Trans-cultural methodology
Income Support in an Eco-Social State: The Case for Participation Income
Social Policy and Society, 2021
Contemporary models of welfare capitalism have frequently been critiqued about their fit-for-purpose in provisioning for people’s basic needs including care, and longer-term ecological sustainability. The Covid-19 pandemic has also exposed the need for better institutions and a new welfare architecture. We argue a post-productivist eco-social state can deliver sustainable well-being and meet basic needs. Arguing Universal Basic Services are an essential building block and prerequisite for a de-commodified welfare state, we focus on examining the form of income support that might best complement UBS. The article develops, from the perspective of feminist arguments and the capabilities approach, a case for Participation Income. This, we argue, can be aligned with targeted policy goals, particularly reward for and redistribution of human and ecological care or reproduction and other forms of socially valued participation. It may also, in the short term, be more administratively practic...