The Pros and Cons of a Universal Basic Income

A Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a government program that gives regular cash payments to everyone, rich and poor, working and unemployed. Some people think a UBI would radically transform society for the better. Others think it would be an unmitigated disaster. In this talk, Matt Zwolinski will walk us through the strengths and weakness of a UBI, considering both its economic and moral dimensions. Could a UBI end poverty? Can we afford it? Does it make sense to pay people not to work? And is it really fair to give money to people who are capable of supporting themselves, but choose not to? There are many ways in which a UBI could go terribly wrong. But Professor Zwolinski will argue that if we get the details right, a UBI has the potential to make a significant improvement to our social welfare system: reducing poverty more effectively, while simultaneously dramatically shrinking government bureaucracy and significantly expanding individual freedom.

Bio

Matt Zwolinski is Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Diego, founder and director of USD’s Center for Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy, and co-director of USD’s Institute for Law and Philosophy. In addition to over thirty academic articles, Professor Zwolinski has written or edited numerous books, including Exploitation: Perspectives from Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (Oxford 2024); The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism (Princeton, 2023); and Universal Basic Income: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2023). You can follow him on Substack at The Bleeding Heart Libertarian.

Co-sponsored by the School of Civic Leadership and COLA

Host or Publisher Civitas Institute