Dr Lauren Ware, Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Kent, recently appeared on BBC Radio Kent to discuss the cross-party suggestion that the UK introduce a Universal Basic Income (UBI) of about £1000 a month regardless of an individual’s situation.
Lauren discusses this topic in relation to her research on the philosophy of emotions, and comments on how in both the arguments for and against UBI; both sides talk about fear, with some arguing that it would ease social anxieties and contribute to a more mentally healthy society, and others saying that the fear of social pressure is what drives them to ‘get off the couch’.
“I don’t really have a lot of sympathy for that view point,” Lauren states in response to the latter argument, “that’s not how we are as humans. Eventually, people would get bored. I just don’t think that when people are left to our own devices, people would want to be lazy.”
Lauren was also excited to hear Labour MP Rebecca Long Bailey cite the introduction of UBI as a possible solution to the economic problems presented by the Coronavirus situation.
“Everyday we talk about who to blame, what are we angry at, what are we afraid of, so it’s really interesting how the philosophy of emotion plays a role in this pandemic.”
Read more about the proposal of UBI by UK politicians and Lauren’s own article on the question ‘Does fear drive economic progress?’