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The State, Pensions and the Philosophy of Welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2009

Norman P. Barry
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Abstract

This is a study of the prevailing state pension systems in Britain and the US in the context of a philosophy of welfare that has developed over the last decade. In this philosophy state welfare systems are justified in terms of their maximizing liberty and autonomy rather than merely social justice. It is argued that the state earnings-related pension scheme in Britain and social security in the US, because they are ‘unfunded’ and paid for out of current taxation, are not merely inefficient but also reduce the independence of individuals and impose high burdens on future generations. It is argued that no philosophical justification can be given for this imposition. The major theoretical flaw in state-managed pension arrangements, it is claimed, is the confusion of the welfare principle with the insurance principle.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , October 1985 , pp. 467 - 490
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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