“The Ethics of Universal Basic Income:” videos and readings from a Masters Seminar

I’m teach a six-week masters seminar called “the Ethics of Universal Basic Income” (UBI) at the University of Freiburg, over six Fridays, January 7 – February 11, 2022. If you’d like to follow along, I’ll post the lectures on YouTube by the next day. Virtually students can comment here and interact with each other. And of course, the lectures will remain up, so you can follow the class later if you want.

If you’d like to do more than listen to the lectures. I’ve attached the latest version of the syllabus with links to most of the reading. If you have access to a university library, you can probably get most of the rest of the reading. But don’t feel like you have to do the reading when auditing the class.

Syllabus:

List of guest speakers:

If you have any questions or need to find any password-protected material, email me at Karl@widerquist.com.

Warnings:

  • Although this class is called, “the ethics of UBI,” it’s at least 50% “the ethical theories of Karl Widerquist.” If that doesn’t eliminate your interest, the class is still here.
  • This is a graduate class in philosophy aimed at students in the first or second year of a Masters program. So, it assumes some prior knowledge of UBI and of political philosophy. I’m hoping that I’ll lecture in a way that most people can follow without much prior knowledge. If that’s not enough, the syllabus provides more than enough reading to get you up to speed, if you have time for that.

Lecture plan

Week 1 (January 7, 2022): Unfortunately, no video was recorded that week

  • Introduction
  • Rawls and social contract theory
  • Nozick and so-called libertarianism

Week 2 (January 14, 2022):

Week 3 (January 21, 2022):

Week 4 (January 28, 2022):

Public seminar (February 2, 2022, 4-6pm CET): link to watch it live

Week 5 (February 4, 2022):

Public seminar (February 9, 2022, 4-6pm CET): link to watch it live

Week 6 (February 11, 2022):

Guest speakers:

Wednesday, February 2, 4-6pm: Public seminar, livestreamed, all welcome

Guy Standing, “A Commons-Based Argument for Basic Income,” 4pm (55 minutes: 15-25 minute talk, followed by discussion)

Alex Gourevitch, 5pm (55 minutes: 15-25 minute talk, followed by discussion)

Friday February 4, class visit, 3-5:30pm: live for registered students and invited guests only; the recording will be publicly available later

Regular class discussion 3-4pm

Philippe Van Parijs, 4-5pm, “Ethics: Free riding or fair share?” 55 minutes, discussion only

Wednesday, February 9, 4-6pm: Public seminar, livestreamed, all welcome

Louise Haagh, 4pm, “Developmental Freedom and Social Order” (55 minutes: 15-25 minute talk, followed by discussion)

Otto Letho, 5pm, “Libertarian Perspectives on Basic Income” (55 minutes: 15-25 minute talk, followed by discussion)

Friday February 11, class visit, 3-5:30pm: live for registered students and invited guests only; the recording will be publicly available later

Regular class discussion 3-4pm

Anca Gheaus, 4-5pm (55 minutes: 15-25 minute talk, followed by discussion), “Basic Income, Gender Justice and the Costs of Gender-Symmetrical Lifestyles”

6 thoughts on ““The Ethics of Universal Basic Income:” videos and readings from a Masters Seminar

    1. My apologies. As I mentioned to the other person. The first video isn’t ready yet. I’ll do it as soon as I can, and I’ll update the page to explain that the videos aren’t ready let. Stay tuned.

  1. Hello Karl, forgive me because I havent yet read any of your work, but I have some comments on freedom I would like to get your thoughts on. Here they are:

    Freedom and justice are not necessarily compatible. Justice might mean the pursuit of accord, but real freedom means that some people can pursue discord.

    I thought the common idea of freedom is the be free from authority and coercion and a state of freedom is one that is laissez faire with minimal rules and regulations. In such a state individuals can make free choices and make voluntary associations. People are free to compete or cooperate.
    The only way to make everyone equally free would actually require taking away freedom by imposing more rules and regulations and redistributions. That actually shrinks the pie of freedom and only redistributes the smaller pie to those who have less.
    I have never played a game such as monopoly in which people are free to chose their own competitive strategies and the game ended in a tie (equality). It seems to me that free competition is inherently exclusionary and unequal.
    What you are advocating for is not freedom really but equality.

    Should the strong be free to enslave and exploit the weak. His idea of freedom seems laughably optimistic. True freedom means people should be free to be a menace to society and create as much chaos as they like. Why shouldnt people be free to own private property?

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