Good Enough?

Abstract

Abstract What basic minimum, if any, do we owe to co-citizens or members of the larger global community? Does it suffice if a young mother can find shelter from an abusive partner or must society also help her secure food, job training, or even a job? Should we have public works programs to help people in times of emergency? This chapter defends the book’s new way of answering this question. It argues that its minimally good life account has some advantages over the main alternatives and that neither the first- nor third-person perspective can help us arrive at an adequate account. Rather, it employs the second-person perspective of free, reasonable care. So, if subsequent chapters’ arguments that we have reason to help everyone secure a basic minimum go through, we have reason to ensure that everyone lives well enough.