Universal Basic Income and Work in Catholic Social Thought

Abstract

Catholic social thought (CST) has obvious resonance with universal basic income proposals, due to the tradition's insistence on basic needs as human rights, comfort with government redistribution, and preference for programs that promote the agency of individuals and local communities, among other similarities. However, some CST scholars believe basic income challenges dearly held values of the tradition. This essay examines both views, concluding that basic income can comport with CST's view of work, correctly understood.

What Does Neoliberalism Mean for Christian Ethics?

“…UBI's movement from a fringe to a seriously discussed proposal is one of the more successful attempts to expand the window of political thought beyond economic neoliberalism in the last ten years. 48 Philosopher Philippe van Parijs has long advocated such universal aid policies within academia and public discourse. 49 In the US, they more recently gained attention from the 2020 presidential candidacy of proponent Andrew Yang, and a number of popular books from secular authors have expanded the understanding of the proposal.…”