10. A Neo-Republican Argument for Limitarianism

Abstract

In this chapter, I argue that limitarianism should be advocated within neo-republicanism. For the neo-republican ideal of freedom as non-domination is jeopardized by the presence of the super-rich in a democracy. By possessing much more resources than their fellow citizens, the super-rich enjoy disproportionate political power, thus dominating the democratic process. Moreover, formal institutional constraints in this regard work only to a limited extent. For the sake of non-domination, therefore, excessive individual wealth should be limited. This, I argue, can be done through a limitarian threshold. However, such a threshold should be put where the problem itself arises. That is, it should not limit the wealth that people do not need for their full flourishing. Rather, it should limit the wealth that allows people to dominate public decision-making even when formal barriers are in place. Hence, I offer a novel argument for limitarianism from the neo-republican perspective.