Topic: Age

Berry, C., & McDaniel, S. (2020) Post-crisis precarity: understanding attitudes to work and industrial relations among young people in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy.

• This paper uses original data from focus groups and an online community exercise to examine young people’s attitudes towards the apparent ‘normalisation’ of precarity in the post-2008 crisis economy. Berry and McDaneil argue that young people have internalised the precarity of labour market conditions, but recognise the abnormality of these circumstances. The paper concludes by outlining a future research agenda for issues such as economic crises, generational identity, and the future of industrial relations.

Ellison, M. (2021). ‘Making it count’: investing in a Social Europe that is meaningful for young people. In G. Bertin, M. Ellison, & G. Moro (Eds.), The European Social Model and an Economy of Wellbeing: Repairing the Social Fabric of European Societies.

Ellison, M. (2017). Through the looking glass; Young people, work and the transition between education and employment in a post-Brexit Europe. Journal of Social Policy.

• This article discusses the implications of Brexit for young people transitioning from education to employment. It discusses policy implications for the UK government, maintaining that the post-Brexit government will need to develop redistributive investment strategies and operational programmes for young people.
  

Ellison, M. (2014). No future to risk? The impact of economic crises and austerity on young people at the margins of European employment and welfare settings. In Z. Irving et al. (Eds.) Social Policy Review (26). Policy Press.

• This report discusses the impact of economic crises and austerity on the employment of young people in Europe. It contains attitude surveys and policy decisions related to this.

Halliday, D., & Parr, T. (forthcoming). Ageing, Justice, and Work: Alternatives to Mandatory Retirement. In Christopher Wareham (ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Topic: Basic Income

Ackerman, B., Alstott, A., & Van Parijs, P. (2006). Redesigning distribution: Basic income and stakeholder grants as cornerstones for egalitarian capitalism. London: Verso.

• This is a collection of essays on the topics of wealth distribution and basic income. 

  
  

Alston, P. (2019). Taxation, Human Rights, and a Universal Basic Income. In P. G. Alston and N. R. Reisch (Eds.) Tax, Inequality, and Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

• This chapter examines the arguments for and against universal basic income, with a focus on international human rights law.

Duka, A., & Bruun, E. P. G. (2018). Artificial Intelligence, Jobs and the Future of Work: Racing with the Machines. Basic Income Studies, 13(2).

• This paper offers policy proposals to deal with the risk of unemployment from increasing automation in labour markets. The paper outlines proposals including basic income schemes, reforms in school curricula, and retraining programmes.

  
  

Gheaus, A. (2008). Basic Income, Gender Justice and the Costs of Gender-symmetrical Lifestyles. Basic Income Studies, 3(3).

• This paper argues that a basic income would not support feminist goals in a society with gender inequality.

  
  

Gheaus, A. (2020). The feminist argument against supporting care. Journal of Practical Ethics 8(1), 1-27.

• This paper defends basic income against some feminist criticisms.

  
  

Hemel, D. (2019). Basic Income as a Human Right?. In P. G. Alston and N. R. Reisch (Eds.) Tax, Inequality, and Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

• This chapter offers a human rights-based justification for basic income, in contrast to welfarist justifications for basic income.

  
  

Lazar, O. (2020). Work, Domination, and the False Hope of Universal Basic Income. Res Publica.

• This paper argues against the view that a universal basic income by itself is an adequate solution to the problem of domination at work. Lazar argues that there are two demands for any such UBI scheme aimed at work-domination.

  
  

Lehto, O. (2018). Basic Income Around the World: The Unexpected Benefits of Unconditional Cash Transfers. London: ASI (Research) Ltd.

• This paper discusses some empirical literature on cash transfer programmes, including universal basic income programmes, and their socioeconomic impact.

  
  

Lehto, O. (2021). Permanent Crisis Management, the Rule of Law, and Universal Basic Income: A Polycentric Approach. Cosmos+Taxis, 9(5+6), 122-136.

• This paper discusses the relationship between income security, universal basic income, welfare state governance, and crisis management in times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lehto, O. (2021, forthcoming). Securing a Dignified Minimum Income: Uncertainty, Complexity, and Universal Basic Income. In E. Pribytkova & G. Schweiger (Eds.), In Search for a Social Minimum: Human Dignity, Poverty, and Human Rights. (AMINTAPHIL: The Philosophical Foundations of Law and Justice.) Springer.

• This paper analyses the failure of existing conditional welfare state programs to successfully implement those countries' existing international human rights commitments. The paper argues that universal basic income is a suitable alternative for securing the right to social security in an uncertain economy.

  
  

Prabhakar, R. (2018). Are Basic Capital Versus Basic Income Debates Too Narrow? Basic Income Studies, 13(1).

• This paper discusses the scholarly debate between basic income and basic capital. Prabhakar argues that the present debate is too narrow for two reasons: first, basic income and basic capital may be complementary schemes, and second, basic income and basic capital should be compared against a wider range of alternatives.

Sachs, B. Stop Supporting the Living Wage Movement! Justice Everywhere.

Sachs-Cobbe, B. Problems with the Living Wage Movement. International Journal of Applied Philosophy 36 (2022):123-43

• This paper evaluates the living wage proposal on whether it enables more people, or people willing to work, to lead a decent life and finds problems with it in this respect.

Thomas, A. (2020). Full Employment, Unconditional Basic Income and the Keynesian Critique of Rentier Capitalism. Basic Income Studies, 15(1),1–38.

• This paper compares and contrasts universal basic income with the alternative policy proposal that the state acts as an employer of last resort. 

  
  

Thomas, A. (2021) Market Socialism, Labour Market Domination, and the State as Employer of Last Resort. Review of Social Economy.

• This paper evaluates the claim that we must be market socialists committed to an extensive sector of worker-owned firms in order to avoid labour market domination. The paper concludes in favour of the state being an employer of last resort. 

  
  

Widerquist, K., Noguera, J. A., Vanderborght, Y., & de Wispelaere, J. (Eds.) (2013). Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

• This anthology provides a compilation of literature on the basic income proposal, including empirical research and theoretical arguments. This includes previously unpublished articles and other rare works.

Topic: The Ethics of Organisations

Herzog, L. (2018). Reclaiming the System: Moral Responsibility, Divided Labour, and the Role of Organizations in Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• This book critically examines the nature and ethics of organisations and the world of work. In doing so, Herzog draws on empirical case studies.

Herzog, L. (2019). Citizens’ Autonomy and Corporate Cultural Power. Journal of Social Philosophy.

• This paper develops the notion of “corporate cultural power” and critically examines this by considering its relation to individual autonomy.

Topic: Money and its Alternatives

Cockshott, W. Paul, & Cottrell, A. (1999, May). Economic planning, computers and labor values. Presented at the conference on Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century, Havana, Cuba.

• This paper offers a proposal for rational socialist planning. Cockshott and Cottrell defend the technical feasibility of this proposal and defend it from some criticisms.
  

Dapprich, J. P. (forthcoming). Tokens make the world go round. Socialist tokens as an alternative to money. Journal of Evolutionary Political Economy.

Topic: Technology, Data and Automation

Agar, N. (2015). The Sceptical Optimist. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• This book explores the ethical implications of new technology. Agar criticises the view that technological progress will ensure overall improvements in well-being. Agar presents a model of the impact of new technology and recent psychological studies on the nature and human perception of well-being.

Autor, D. H. (2015). Why Are There Still So Many Jobs? The History and Future of Workplace Automation. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(3), 3-30.

• This paper identifies some reasons for why automation has not overtaken the majority of jobs in the past. It also discusses possible future trends concerning technology and work, such as the ‘polarization’ of the labour market, artificial intelligence, and robotics. The paper focuses on the specific advantages and disadvantages of these developments.

Berry, C. (2018). Disruptive Technologies: The Impact on Workers in Scotland. Common Weal Policy.

• This report examines the potential impact of automation in Scotland. The report discusses the risks to employment in particular job sectors and includes policy proposals to deal with the increasing automation of work in Scotland.

Cockshott, P., & Renaud, K. (2016). Humans, robots and values. Technology in Society, 45, 19-28.

• This paper examines the implications of general robotisation for profitability and the future of capitalism. The authors argue that robots will not prove a major threat to replacing humans in the labour market until a ‘universal’ machine is invented. The paper also discusses the nature of work. 

Cockshott, P. (2019). How Feasible are Jack Ma's Proposals for Computerized Planning? World Review of Political Economy 10, no. 3: 302-315.

Danaher, J. (2017). Will Life Be Worth Living in a World Without Work? Technological Unemployment and the Meaning of Life. Science and Engineering Ethics, 23(1), 41-64.

• This paper examines an existential question raised by the possibility of no longer having to work in the future. Danaher argues that we have good reasons to embrace non-work, but that technology and automation could threaten human flourishing if it is not confined to the economic sphere.

Hobsbawn, J. (2017). Fully Connected. Bloomsbury.

• This book examines the impact of technology and information upon personal and professional lives. Hobsbawn draws on research and case studies from behavioural economics, social psychology, neuroscience, management and social network analysis.

Jones, J. (unpublished). Labour, Work, and Automation: Against Automated Post-Work Imaginaries. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Kent.

Parr, T. (forthcoming). Automation, Unemployment, and Taxation. Social Theory and Practice.

Peters, M. A. (2020). Beyond technological unemployment: the future of work. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52 (5), 485-491.

• This paper discusses trends in the impact of technology and possible solutions to deal with unemployment resulting from automation.

Topic: The Value of Work

Cottrell, A., Cockshott, P., Michaelson, G., & Wright, I. (2007). Information, Work and Value.

• This collection of essays addresses the nature of information, its value, and the relationship between money and value. As a part of the studies, the authors draw upon classical political economy, thermodynamics and information theory.

Cockshott, P., & Zachariah, D. (2006). Hunting productive work. Science & Society, 70(4) (2006), 509-527.

• This paper critically examines the notion of productive work, with attention given to the accounts of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Cockshott and Zachariah offer their own account of productive work and examine the extent to which their account can be reconciled with that of Smith and Marx.

Gheaus, A., & Herzog, L. (2016). The Goods of Work (Other than Money!). Journal of Social Philosophy, 47(1), 70-89.

• This paper argues that jobs and labour markets should be evaluated with respect to a plurality of benefits and disadvantages, rather than a uniform focus on financial gain. In doing so, the authors provide a framework for the evaluation of the goods of work, with a particular focus on distributive justice.

Moran, B. (2019). Labor, Capital, and Human Rights. In P. G. Alston and N. R. Reisch (Eds.) Tax, Inequality, and Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

• This chapter argues that the US tax code favours capital over labour and is therefore at odds with principles of equity and human rights.

Prainsack, B., & Buyx, A. (2020). The value of work: Addressing the future of work through the lens of solidarity. Bioethics, 32(9), 585-592.

• This paper argues for a reconsideration of the value of work. Prainsack and Buyx argue that the value of work should not be determined by labour markets but by its importance for society. The authors endorse a solidarity-based normative framework, wherein valuable work ensures social cohesion and increases reciprocity in our societies. The paper also discusses the relationship between work and income.

Scotto, P. (2020). Thinking the future of work through the history of right to work claims. Philosophy and Social Criticism, 46(8), 942-960.

• This paper examines the history of the meaning of the right to work and considers its implications for the future of work.

Topic: Welfare State Governance

Dalzell, C. (2017). Social Security For All Of Us — An Independent Scotland as a Modern Welfare State. Common Weal Policy.

• This paper examines various policy ideas for social security in the case of Scottish independence.

Lehto, O. (2021). Permanent Crisis Management, the Rule of Law, and Universal Basic Income: A Polycentric Approach. Cosmos+Taxis, 9(5+6), 122-136.

• This paper argues for a rule-based universal basic income scheme, in contrast to discretionary welfare state measures. Lehto argues that universal basic income schemes may have the ability to improve the institutional crisis preparedness of a complex social and economic system, versus more discretionary means of tax-and-transfer schemes. Practical issues for further research are highlighted.

McDaniel, S., & Berry, C. (2018) Work, labour markets and welfare: a literature review. IPPR Commission on Economic Justice.

• This is a literature review covering three topics. First, the review looks at the nature and scale of unpaid work. Second, the review looks at insecure and low paid work, and its distribution in the UK economy. Third, the review examines unemployment in the UK, its causes and distribution, and the UK welfare regime. The review concludes by discussing labour market changes and economic justice, as well as implications for government policy.

Topic: Migration and Childcare

The following papers discuss the normative issues raised by workers' temporary migration and the impact of this upon their children. 

Gheaus, A. (2013). Care Drain As an Issue of Global Gender Justice. Ethical Perspectives, 20(1), 61-80.

Gheaus., A. (2013). Care Drain: Who Should Provide For the Children Left Behind? Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 16(1), 1-23. 

Gheaus., A. (2014). Children’s Rights, Parental Agency and the Case for Non-coercive Responses to Care Drain. In D. Meyers (ed.), Poverty, Agency and Human Rights (pp. 299-320). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Topic: Workspaces

Hobsbawn, J. (2021). The Nowhere Office. Demos Workshift Commission.

• This paper argues that we need to substantially alter the way we value work and the way we do work in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hobsbawn argues that the fixed time and place of traditional work will not continue for economic and cultural reasons. The paper discusses the implications for traditional work norms, leadership and management, and subsequent policy requirements.

  
  

McAlpine, R., & Dalzell, C. (2021). Work the Land: the Employment Potential of Land Reform. Common Weal Policy.

This paper argues against the view that land reform would harm rural employment in Scotland. The authors argue that land reform would create certain kinds of rural jobs positively impact rural employment and wages.

Topic: Workplace Democracy

The following papers and journals critically examine the concept of workplace democracy.

Frega, R., & Herzog, L. (eds.) (2020). Workplace Democracy. [Special issue]. Review of Social Economy, 78(3).

Frega, R., Herzog, L., & Neuhäuser, C. (2019). Workplace Democracy – the recent debate. Philosophy Compass, 14(4).

Gerlsbeck, F., & Herzog, L. (2020). The Epistemic Potentials of Workplace Democracy. Review of Social Economy, 78(3), 307-330.



Topic: Anti Work

Black, B. (1996) The Abolition of Work.

Danaher, J. (2018) The Case Against Work. The Philosopher’s Magazine.

Graeber, D. (2019) Bullshit Jobs. Penguin.

 Lafargue, P. (1883) The Right to Be Lazy.

Livingston, J. (2016) No More Work. University of North Carolina Press.