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4. Autonomy-Based Reasons for Limitarianism

  • Danielle Zwarthoed (author)
Chapter of: Having Too Much: Philosophical Essays on Limitarianism(pp. 91–128)

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Metadata
Title4. Autonomy-Based Reasons for Limitarianism
ContributorDanielle Zwarthoed (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0338.04
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0338/chapters/10.11647/obp.0338.04
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
CopyrightDanielle Zwarthoed
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2023-07-06
Long abstractThis paper aims to provide autonomy-based reasons in favour of limitarianism. Limitarianism affirms it is of primary moral importance that no one gets too much. The paper challenges the standard assumption that having more material resources always increases autonomy. It expounds five mechanisms through which having too much material wealth might undermine autonomy. If these hypotheses are true, a theory of justice guided by a concern for autonomy will support a limitarian distribution of wealth. Finally, the paper discusses two issues autonomy-based limitarianism would raise. First, insofar as coercion invades autonomy, do autonomy-based reasons legitimate coercive measures to secure a limitarian distribution of wealth? Second, is a limitarian ethos consistent with the incentive to produce enough wealth to secure distributive justice?
Page rangepp. 91–128
Print length38 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

Danielle Zwarthoed

(author)

Danielle Zwarthoed is a historian and philosopher. At the time of publishing her article that is included in this volume, she was a lecturer at the Chair Hoover at the Université Catholique de Louvain. She is currently pursuing a second PhD-degree at the EHESS in Paris.

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