Taxation In Utopia

Taxation in Utopia explores utopian political philosophy from the neglected perspective of taxation. At its core, taxation is an ethical question. It requires people to sacrifice for the benefit of others, whether or not they also benefit themselves. Donald Morris refers to this broader, nonmonetary context as constructive taxation, which includes restrictions on privacy and access to information, constraints on marriage and child-rearing, and conventions restricting the proprietorship of land. Morris examines this in the context of various utopian writings, such as More's Utopia, as well as literary treatments of these issues, such as Bellamy's Looking Backward. This interdisciplinary exploration of utopian taxation provides a novel approach to examining relations between a state's view of the general welfare and the sacrifices this view requires of its citizens.

Can you create an ideal world of your own? A utopia? In 2022, the administration and staff of the University of Northern California think so; that's why they've created a cozy little campus in the hills of Placerville, secure (behind thick concrete walls) from the social chaos that prevails in the larger society. Here, they can devote themselves wholly to the life of the mind. However, problems soon appear: "Generation Z" students chafe under the campus restrictions (including mandatory use of sexual suppressant drugs), and begin an "Underground" movement of protest. History Professor Morton Thompson finds himself in the middle, as well as coping with violent attacks on the campus. A quasi-governmental agency called UniCom (creators of a database called "The BEAST" that is a terrifying violation of civil liberties) enters the picture, determined to use the situation for its own ends, leading to a thrilling and unexpected climax. Discover the difficulties in trying to flee from the problems of the world, as Professor Thompson and others await the appearance of the mysterious "Generation A"... Eight lectures: The core of Professor Thompson's course in American Utopian Communities, are also appended, presenting an outline of the history of "utopian"/intentional communities in this country.

This is the first book to give a collective treatment of philosophical issues relating to tax. The tax system is central to the operation of states and to the ways in which states interact with individual citizens. Taxes are used by states to fund the provision of public goods and public services, to engage in direct or indirect forms of redistribution, and to mould the behaviour of individual citizens. As the contributors to this volume show, there are a number of pressing and thorny philosophical issues relating to the tax system, and these issues often connect in fascinating ways with foundational questions regarding property rights, public justification, democracy, state neutrality, stability, political psychology, and other moral and political issues. Many of these deep and fascinating philosophical questions about tax have not received as much sustained attention as they clearly merit. The aim of advancing the debate about tax in political philosophy has both general and more specific aspects, ranging across both over-arching issues regarding the tax system as a whole and more specific issues relating to particular forms of tax policy. Thinking clearly about tax is not an easy task, as much that is of central importance is missed if one proceeds at too great a level of abstraction, and issues of conceptual and normative importance often only come sharply into focus when viewed against real-world questions of implementation and feasibility. Serious philosophical work on the tax system will often therefore need to be interdisciplinary, and so the discussion in this book includes a number of scholars whose expertise spans across neighbouring disciplines to philosophy, including political science, economics, public policy, and law.

Robert Nozicka s Anarchy, State, and Utopia is a powerful, philosophical challenge to the most widely held political and social positions of our age ---- liberal, socialist and conservative.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Listen out for Rutger Bregman. He has a big future shaping the future' Observer 'A more politically radical Malcolm Gladwell' New York Times 'The Dutch wunderkind of new ideas' Guardian In Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman shows that we can construct a society with visionary ideas that are, in fact, wholly implementable. Every milestone of civilisation – from the end of slavery to the beginning of democracy – was once considered a utopian fantasy. New utopian ideas such as universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week can become reality in our lifetime. From a Canadian city that once completely eradicated poverty, to Richard Nixon's near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, Bregman takes us on a journey through history, beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he introduces ideas whose time has come.

Silver Winner, ForeWord Book of the Year in the Political Science Category Finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards presented by Hopewell Publications From unreported gambling winnings and inflated claims of the value of clothing donated to charity to money hidden in Swiss bank accounts and high-profile tax schemes plotted by celebrities and business leaders, the range of tax cheating opportunities is wide and the boundaries and moral status can be hazy. Considering the behavior of individuals and small businesses as well as the involvement of congress and the IRS, Donald Morris combines insights from law, psychology, sociology, criminology, accounting, economics, and philosophy to examine the ethical issues surrounding tax cheating and implications for tax policy.