Social reproduction involves all the work that people do to (re)make people on a daily and generational basis. It involves processes by which a social system - individually and generational –...Show moreSocial reproduction involves all the work that people do to (re)make people on a daily and generational basis. It involves processes by which a social system - individually and generational – reproduces itself. Socially reproductive labor is essential for the functioning of societies, including capitalistic ones: social reproduction maintains and (re)produces the workers that are the engine of the (formal) labor market. In many analyses on globalized capitalism and the current economy, social reproduction is a completely neglected aspect. This negligence prevents us from recognizing the (structural) crisis in which social reproduction finds itself: socially reproductive labor is not acknowledged as ‘real work’ and there is no reciprocity between, on the one hand, the formal and waged labor sector and, on the other hand, the informal realm. My first aim in this research is to find a (working) definition of social reproduction and, from there, research the crisis. Moreover, I will try to answer the question on how we can solve the crisis in social reproduction by studying two different distributive justice theories: justice as fairness – a theory by John Rawls – and a Unconditional Basic Income, defended by Philippe van Parijs. I will argue that a basic income is the most promising theory of the two to (partly) solve the crisis, but that it is still insufficient as a policy tool to structurally solve the profound crisis of social reproduction under capitalism. I will conclude that social reproduction will always be undervalued - both in forms of monetary reward and social status - under both the welfare state and a radical reform to the welfare state in the form of a basic income.Show less
The implementation of an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) would eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, enhance welfare and help us face automatization. However, one of the main objections is that...Show moreThe implementation of an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) would eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, enhance welfare and help us face automatization. However, one of the main objections is that people will free ride on a UBI, making it morally unacceptable and economically unfeasible. The moral objection holds that it is unfair for anyone to receive a UBI at the expense of others who contribute to it, without being obligated to make some proportional contribution in return or be condemned otherwise. The economic objection holds that a UBI is not feasible, because rational people will stop working or attempt to evade taxes; both of which are needed to finance a UBI. Advocates of a UBI have argued that the number of free riders is expected to be limited, but they have failed to offer a theoretical framework of human behaviour which supports these arguments. The so-called Logic of Reciprocity is such a framework. Therefore, we ask the question in this thesis ‘How can we find a solution to the collective action problem of economic feasibility of a UBI if we follow the Logic of Reciprocity? Does this model of human behaviour allow us to overcome the free rider objection of economic feasibility against a UBI?’. Subsequently, we ask the question ‘Can the moral benefits of a UBI outweigh the violation of the reciprocity principle to mitigate the moral free rider objection?’. We defend the claim that a UBI is economically feasible under high levels of trust. In addition, we defend the claim that this mitigates the weight of the moral free rider objection. In the first chapter, we establish that a UBI faces a collective action problem of economic feasibility; a UBI is a desirable collective good which cannot be achieved through collective action due to the rational free riding behaviour not to work or pay taxes. In the second chapter, we discuss two models of human behaviour to review the underlying assumptions of the collective action problem of economic feasibility. The Logic of Collective Action supports the core assumption that humans behave rationally and will always defect. The alternative Logic of Reciprocity argues that humans are moral and emotional reciprocators who defect or cooperate based on the perceived behaviour of others. We conclude that the Logic of Reciprocity offers a more accurate prediction of human behaviour in collective action. In the third chapter, we apply the Logic of Reciprocity to the collective action problem of economic feasibility of a UBI. We conclude that under high levels of trust, the majority of people will be motivated to be seen as good and cooperative and feel reassured that they will not be taken advantage of. Thus, the majority of people will continue to work and pay taxes upon receiving a UBI, making the implementation of a UBI economically feasible. Subsequently, we argue that, once a UBI is economically feasible, the harm caused by the limited number of free riders is minor compared to the harm caused by free riding behaviour in the absence of a UBI. We conclude that the moral benefits of a UBI outweigh the violation of the reciprocity principle, thus mitigating the moral objection. To achieve and maintain a high level of trust, we recommend a positive narrative, transparency of cooperation levels and limited social incentives targeted clearly at dedicated free riders.Show less
