In his talk at the Commoning Economy forum, philosopher and political economist Philippe Van Parijs discusses and propagates the idea of a universal basic income, of which he has been a passionate proponent for decades, since publishing his book Real Freedom for All: What (if Anything) Can Justify Capitalism? (1995). While the universal nature of this concept is seemingly at odds with the localized nature of community economies, Van Parijs makes a strong case for its concrete feasibility – considering, for instance, to what extent universal basic income can be an alternative to capitalism and its regime of boundless productivity.

Even if we are living in a society where capitalism seems to dominate, another form of economy of community well-being and non-monetary interaction is already being practiced: “community economy.” Coupled with the proposal to replace the current waged-based society with “universal basic income,” this forum delves into these two alternative and more equal models of economic organization.