A Life of One's Own: Individual Rights and the Welfare State

The welfare state rests on the assumption that people have rights to food, shelter, health care, retirement income, and other goods provided by the government. Philosopher David Kelley examines the historical origins of that assumption and the rationale used to support it today. That rationale, he shows, is deeply flawed. Welfare 'rights' are incompatible with freedom, justice, and true benevolence and have damaged the genuine welfare of those who can least afford to become dependent on the government.

• Author
• David Kelley

• Format
• paperback

• Pages
• 165

• Publisher
• Cato Institute

• Language
• english

• ISBN
• 9781882577712

• Genres
• philosophy, politics

• Release date
• 1998