Do the Poor Deserve Less Than Surfers? An Essay for the Special Issue on Vulnerable Consumers

In his seminal work on an unconditional basic income for each citizen, Philippe Van Parijs provides a new paradigm to facilitate a discussion on the morality (or lack there of) inherent within our global distribution system of goods and services. He also (implicitly) challenges the field to consider the impact of greater exchange parity upon our material world and the quality of life afforded our most vulnerable consumers. After briefly presenting his approach, the work of John Rawls on distributive justice and this author’s own research on consumption adequacy is integrated into this perspective to form a powerful model for policy makers.