Suchergebnisse

Presented is a critical account of the variety of ethical & economic principles that have been used to justify the present form of the welfare state in Western democracies, including natural rights, communitarian, general utilitarian, & citizenship foundations. It is argued that there is no symmetry between welfare rights & the traditional liberal negative rights of forbearance. Further, proposed welfare rights theories impose a set of duties on welfare recipients, which is inconsistent with liberalism. The idea of community as a source of welfare claims is rejected on the grounds of its vagueness, & criticized for its potential exclusivity. The utilitarian argument for state welfare is vulnerable to the argument that, in contemporary democracies, the vote motive drives political agents to reward the middle classes rather than those in need. The egalitarian impulse of welfarism is thwarted by inadequate constitutional arrangements. Also rejected is the citizenship argument for welfare, pointing to the enervating effect on character that excessive state welfare involves. A discussion of how welfare may be generated by private agents is presented in conclusion. Modified AA