Social Welfare and Individual Responsibility (For and Against)

In this summary you will learn

• Why social welfare is a hot-button topic with valid arguments on both sides
• Why it is important that people assume responsibility for themselves
• Why one of the core issues of the debate is how to care for those who truly cannot fend for themselves

getAbstract rating

Why you should read Social Welfare and Individual Responsibility (For and Against)

David Schmidtz and Robert E. Goodin present a point-counterpoint discussion of the role of government in social welfare programs. This book explains the basic disagreements underlying the social welfare debate. David Schmidtz reasonably presents the conservative argument, but does not address what to do with people who truly cannot contribute to the economy. Goodin stays more clearly on topic, particularly when dismantling arguments for "self-reliance," but is less persuasive when he discusses the fate of displaced workers. Schmidtz is willing to accept more people suffering today as the price of progress. However, his argument is weakened by his use of out-dated statistics, which cast a shadow on his other assertions. Goodin prefers to sacrifice some progress to help those who are suffering today. Although neither writer anticipated the recent economic boom, which exposes flaws in both arguments, getAbstract.com still recommends this valuable book as a serious study of social policy.

About the Authors

David Schmidtz is a professor of Philosophy and joint Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona. He research interests include environmental ethics and moral theory. Robert Goodin has a doctorate in politics from Oxford. In 1989, he became professor of philosophy at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. He has written various books on political theory, public policy and applied ethics.