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UBI could mean justice for everyone. How do we get there?

A basic income could give everyone in society more options – but ethical and political challenges stand in the way

UBI could mean justice for everyone. How do we get there?
Campaigners from the Haringey Right To Food Coalition take part in a march in September 2024 in London | Mark Kerrison/In Pictures/Getty Images. All rights reserved
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Philippe Van Parijs is a Belgian philosopher and social scientist who teaches at the University of Louvain and the University of Leuven. He is co-founder of the Basic Income Earth Network and co-author of the book Basic Income. He is one of world’s foremost proponents of universal basic income (UBI).

Beyond Trafficking and Slavery (BTS): What do you think are the major challenges encountered when trying to increase political support for basic income in developed countries, and particularly in countries with a strong neoliberal sense that a free lunch – especially for the poor – is almost a sin?

Philippe Van Parijs: The first job is really understanding where the opposition comes from. What is it based on?