Basic-needs sufficientarianism

Basic-needs sufficientarianism holds that everyone should have enough in the sense of having their basic needs satisfied. Though a common form of sufficientarianism, basic-needs sufficientarianism is underexplored even by its proponents. This article significantly advances understanding of basic-needs sufficientarianism in three respects. First, it identifies basic-needs sufficientarians’ stances on key issues such as whether basic needs are of fundamental or instrumental value, the grounding of that value, the weighting assigned to basic needs, and the treatment of subthreshold distribution. Second, it argues that the common commitment of these theories to the fundamental value of basic needs is unsustainable whether it is grounded in the universality of basic needs or their connection with autonomy. Third, it proposes an instrumental form of basic-needs sufficientarianism that is truer to the core motivation of ensuring everyone has sufficient food, water, clothing, shelter, sanitation and healthcare while offering an appealing and theoretically-grounded approach to the contested question of sufficientarian subthreshold distribution.