Limitarianism and Relative Thresholds

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In her groundbreaking paper "Having too much"Ingrid Robeyns introduces the principle of "limitarianism,"arguing that it is morally impermissible to have more resources than needed for leading a maximally flourishing life. This paper focuses on one component of limitarian theory, namely the nature of the riches threshold, and critiques Robeyns' absolute threshold, that limits wealth above what is needed for satiating human flourishing. The paper then suggests an alternative, relative threshold for determining excessive wealth, and also argues that limitarianism is best understood as a set of wealth-limiting principles, each with its own threshold, justifications, and conditions for operation.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalCanadian Journal of Philosophy
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2025

Keywords

  • Limitarianism
  • distributive justice
  • egalitarianism
  • flourishing
  • political inequality
  • scarcity
  • thresholds
  • waste
  • wealth

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Philosophy

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