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7 Res Publica 1 (2001)

handle is hein.journals/respub7 and id is 1 raw text is: DORIS SCHROEDER WICKEDNESS, IDLENESS AND BASIC INCOME* ABSTRACT. This paper critically analyses the position that basic income schemes foster idleness and thereby create harm. The view is based on an alleged empirical link between idleness and violent crime and an equation of non-activity with the creation of burden for others. It will be argued that the empirical claim is weak because it relies on conjectures derived from studies on unemployment. In addition, opponents arguing that basic income leads to an unfair distribution of burden between 'lazy idlers' and 'honest taxpayers' have to face three questions. Is the distribution of onerous or unpleasant work fair? Is the distri- bution of work burdens between paid and unpaid workers equitable? Is the distribution of work between the unemployed and the employed fair? None of these questions can be answered in the affirmative. Hence, it can be confirmed that the 'idleness' argument against basic income relies on unfounded premises. KEY WORDS: basic income, employment, harm, idleness, morality, politics It is in the interest of every man to live as much at his ease as he can - Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations The concept of basic income entered political debates in the West under a variety of names: state bonus, social credit, social wage, social dividend, guaranteed income, citizen's wage, citizenship income, existence income or universal grant.1 All these terms refer to one idea: a scheme that would pay every citizen a minimum income irrespective of work commitment or other available income. With its introduction, many state benefits would become obsolete: amongst others, pensions, unemployment assistance and income support. Although the idea can be traced back to the Levellers' movement of the 17th century, it became known to a wider readership only in the 19th century when social reformers such as Charles Fourier (1772- 1837) developed their theories of utopian socialism. Fourier argued that * I would like to thank Eve Garrard, Garrath Williams and Armin Schmidt for comments on earlier drafts; Rob Fisher and 'Conference Connections' for an excel- lent opportunity to present this paper at Lady Margaret Hall; and Bob Brecher and an anonymous referee for very encouraging remarks. 1 P. v. Parijs, Competing Justifications of Basic Income, in P. v. Parijs, ed., Arguing for Basic Income - Ethical Foundations for a Radical Reform (London: Verso, 1992), 3-43. r Res Publica 7: 1-12, 2001. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

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