PHIL186 Paper 1 (1)

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Dec 6, 2023

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1 Paper 1: Kantian Deontology on Universal Basic Income Department of Business, San Jose State University PHIL-186 Section 91: Professional and Business Ethics Professor

2 Kantian deontology is a moral theory developed by philosopher Immanuel Kant, which emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and principles, regardless of their consequences. Kant believed that actions should be based on duty, rather than personal interests or emotions (Salazar, 2008). With universal basic income (UBI) as a solution to low income, Elon Musk and Richard Branson had shared their thoughts on increasing UBI due to the advancement of technology. Furthermore, their ideas will be applied with the framework of Kantian deontology. In Heather Salazar's Kantian Business Ethics, she explains what Kantian deontology is and explains its moral principles. Salazar notes that Kantian deontological theory provides a system of decision-making that encourages respect for persons and rationality in human affairs. She also highlights the Kantian principle of treating individuals as ends in themselves, rather than as means to an end, stating that "Kant's second formulation of the categorical imperative states that individuals must always be treated as ends in themselves, and never merely as means to an end" (Salazar, 2008). Moreover, Salazar emphasizes the importance of universalizability in Kantian ethics, stating that "moral principles must be formulated in a way that can be universally applied, without exception." This means that moral principles should be applicable to all individuals, regardless of their personal circumstances or characteristics. In an article from CNBC, titled "Virgin Group's Richard Branson on universal basic income," features Richard Branson's perspective on UBI. Branson stated that "It's important that people have a safety net" and that UBI "would allow people to live a decent life"(Clifford, 2018a). He also expressed his belief that "there will be fewer and fewer jobs that a robot cannot do," (Clifford, 2018a) and that UBI could help address the potential loss of jobs due to

3 automation. Branson acknowledged that implementing UBI would require significant funding but stated that it could be achieved through tax reform or other means. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that people are not left behind in a rapidly changing economy and that UBI could be a way to provide economic security for all. When considering Richard Branson's views on universal basic income, we can apply Kantian deontology by examining whether the concept of universal basic income can be universalized without contradiction. Branson has said: "A basic income should be introduced in Europe and in America… With the acceleration of [artificial intelligence] and other new technology… the work is changing fast" (Clifford, 2018a). From a Kantian perspective, the idea of universal basic income can be seen as a moral imperative because it provides a means of ensuring that everyone has access to basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare, which are necessary for human dignity. Universal basic income can also be seen as a way of fulfilling the categorical imperative because it could be universalized without contradiction. Branson also mentions, “‘A lot of exciting new innovations are going to be created, which will generate a lot of opportunities and a lot of wealth, but there is a real danger it could also reduce the amount of jobs ‘“ (Clifford, 2018a). If everyone were to receive a basic income, this could be universalized without contradiction because it would not be based on individual circumstances or personal characteristics. It would be a universal principle that applies to all individuals equally. Furthermore, it would be in line with the categorical imperative because it would treat every individual as an end in themselves rather than a means to an end. The quote also relates to the next article of Elon Musk’s take on UBI due to the amount of jobs being replaced by AI.

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