Capitalist societies are full of unacceptable inequalities. Freedom is of paramount importance. These two convictions are widely shared across the world, yet they seem to be completely contradictory with each other. Fighting inequality jeopardizes freedom, and taking freedom seriously boosts inequality. Can this conflict be resolved? In this ground-breaking book, Philippe Van Parijs sets out a new and compelling case for a just society. Assessing and rejecting the claims of both socialism and conventional capitalism, he presents a clear and compelling alternative vision of the just society: a capitalist society offering a substantial and unconditional basic income to all its members. Not just an exercise in political theory, this book goes on to show what his ideal of a free society means in the real world by drawing out its policy implications. It will be essential reading for anyone concerned about the just society and the welfare state as we move into the twenty-first century.

Philippe Van Parijs is a Professor of Economic and Social Ethics at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.