The left-wing French journal Mouvements devoted its entire Spring 2013 issue to basic income. This substantial volume includes no less than 20 papers on the various aspects of basic income. While most authors are very much in favour of it, some are more skeptical. Sociologist Bernard Friot, for instance, argues in favour of a complex “universal wage” system, in which the guaranteed income would not be disconnected from one’s qualifications. The issue also includes a micro-simulation for the implementation of a basic income in France, by economist and basic income activist Marc de Basquiat. Furthermore, the editors have interviewed two prominent academic figures, sociologist Robert Castel and philosopher Philippe Van Parijs. Castel insists on the fact that paid work, i.e. the labour market, remains of paramount importance for social recognition and self-esteem, and he does not endorse basic income. Van Parijs, by contrast, explains why he supports it, and how it connects to his reflections about green politics.
