Centre for Policy on Ageing



Social security and moral principles
Author(s)	Yuichi Shionoya
Journal title	Review of Population and Social Policy, no 7, 1998
Publisher	National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Tokyo, 1998
Pages	pp 1-14
Keywords	Social welfare ; Social ethics ; Theory.
Annotation	The ethical foundations of the welfare state are examined, to establish a normative basis for evaluating the social security system which includes pensions, medical care and public assistance. Moral principles rather than mere financial considerations are needed to restructure the welfare state in the developed countries. Four major principles - utilitarianism, contractarianism, libertarianism and communitarianism - are discussed with regard to their capability to justify the welfare state. It is argued that John Rawls' contractarian theory of justice, based on a veil of ignorance, supports the safety-net conception of the welfare state. From this perspective, the article analyses the relationship between insurance and assistance principles in the practical design of the welfare state. The commonly accepted view of distinguishing between insurance and taxes, both which are sources of funds for social security, is untenable from a moral standpoint. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-990331212 A
Classmark	TY: TQ: 4D
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.