Libertarians should endorse a basic-income guarantee not only because it would work better than our current social welfare system, but also because it is a positive value in its own right. Because the initial owners of land seized it, Lockean libertarian principles necessitate some form of compensation, and a government-guaranteed basic income is the alternative best suited to fill that role and can do so without violating individual property rights.
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Matt Zwolinski is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego. He is a contributor to The Independent Review, the quarterly journal from the Independent Institute.
