Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universa...

Electronic data

  • Ethics_of_the_health_case_for_UBI

    Rights statement: This article has been accepted for publication in Journal of Medical Ethics 2021 following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106477 “© Authors (or their employer(s)) OR “© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd” ( for assignments of BMJ Case Reports) “ “Reuse of this manuscript version (excluding any databases, tables, diagrams, photographs and other images or illustrative material included where a another copyright owner is identified) is permitted strictly pursuant to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC 4.0) http://creativecommons.org BMJ Authors Self-Archiving Policy, September 2018 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/”

    Accepted author manuscript, 511 KB, PDF document

    Available under license: CC BY-NC: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universal Basic Income as a public health policy: prophylaxis, social engineering and ‘good’ lives

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published

Standard

Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universal Basic Income as a public health policy: prophylaxis, social engineering and ‘good’ lives. / Johnson, Matthew; Johnson, Elliott.
In: Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 47, No. 12, e71, 31.12.2021.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Johnson M, Johnson E. Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universal Basic Income as a public health policy: prophylaxis, social engineering and ‘good’ lives. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2021 Dec 31;47(12):e71. Epub 2021 Jan 18. doi: medethics-2020-106477.R4, 10.1136/medethics-2020-106477

Author

Bibtex

@article{ec9012e920db423f806b55f23c6f2e4c,
title = "Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universal Basic Income as a public health policy: prophylaxis, social engineering and {\textquoteleft}good{\textquoteright} lives",
abstract = "At a time of COVID-19 Pandemic, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been presented as a potential public health {\textquoteleft}upstream intervention{\textquoteright}. Research indicates a possible impact on health by reducing poverty, fostering health-promoting behaviour and ameliorating biopsychosocial pathways to health. This novel case for UBI as a public health measure is starting to receive attention from a range of political positions and organizations. However, discussion of the ethical underpinnings of UBI as a public health policy is sparse. This is depriving policymakers of clear perspectives about the reasons for, restrictions to and potential for the policy{\textquoteright}s design and implementation. In this article, we note prospective pathways to impact on health in order to assess fit with Rawlsian, capabilities and perfectionist approaches to public health policy. We suggest that Raz{\textquoteright} pluralist perfectionist approach may fit most comfortably with the prospective pathways to impact, which has implications for allocation of resources. ",
author = "Matthew Johnson and Elliott Johnson",
note = "This article has been accepted for publication in Journal of Medical Ethics 2021 following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106477 “{\textcopyright} Authors (or their employer(s)) OR “{\textcopyright} BMJ Publishing Group Ltd” ( for assignments of BMJ Case Reports) “ “Reuse of this manuscript version (excluding any databases, tables, diagrams, photographs and other images or illustrative material included where a another copyright owner is identified) is permitted strictly pursuant to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC 4.0) http://creativecommons.org BMJ Authors Self-Archiving Policy, September 2018 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/”",
year = "2021",
month = dec,
day = "31",
doi = "medethics-2020-106477.R4",
language = "English",
volume = "47",
journal = "Journal of Medical Ethics",
issn = "0306-6800",
publisher = "BMJ Publishing Group",
number = "12",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining the ethical underpinnings of Universal Basic Income as a public health policy

T2 - prophylaxis, social engineering and ‘good’ lives

AU - Johnson, Matthew

AU - Johnson, Elliott

N1 - This article has been accepted for publication in Journal of Medical Ethics 2021 following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106477 “© Authors (or their employer(s)) OR “© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd” ( for assignments of BMJ Case Reports) “ “Reuse of this manuscript version (excluding any databases, tables, diagrams, photographs and other images or illustrative material included where a another copyright owner is identified) is permitted strictly pursuant to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC 4.0) http://creativecommons.org BMJ Authors Self-Archiving Policy, September 2018 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/”

PY - 2021/12/31

Y1 - 2021/12/31

N2 - At a time of COVID-19 Pandemic, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been presented as a potential public health ‘upstream intervention’. Research indicates a possible impact on health by reducing poverty, fostering health-promoting behaviour and ameliorating biopsychosocial pathways to health. This novel case for UBI as a public health measure is starting to receive attention from a range of political positions and organizations. However, discussion of the ethical underpinnings of UBI as a public health policy is sparse. This is depriving policymakers of clear perspectives about the reasons for, restrictions to and potential for the policy’s design and implementation. In this article, we note prospective pathways to impact on health in order to assess fit with Rawlsian, capabilities and perfectionist approaches to public health policy. We suggest that Raz’ pluralist perfectionist approach may fit most comfortably with the prospective pathways to impact, which has implications for allocation of resources.

AB - At a time of COVID-19 Pandemic, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been presented as a potential public health ‘upstream intervention’. Research indicates a possible impact on health by reducing poverty, fostering health-promoting behaviour and ameliorating biopsychosocial pathways to health. This novel case for UBI as a public health measure is starting to receive attention from a range of political positions and organizations. However, discussion of the ethical underpinnings of UBI as a public health policy is sparse. This is depriving policymakers of clear perspectives about the reasons for, restrictions to and potential for the policy’s design and implementation. In this article, we note prospective pathways to impact on health in order to assess fit with Rawlsian, capabilities and perfectionist approaches to public health policy. We suggest that Raz’ pluralist perfectionist approach may fit most comfortably with the prospective pathways to impact, which has implications for allocation of resources.

U2 - medethics-2020-106477.R4

DO - medethics-2020-106477.R4

M3 - Journal article

VL - 47

JO - Journal of Medical Ethics

JF - Journal of Medical Ethics

SN - 0306-6800

IS - 12

M1 - e71

ER -