Subsistence

Today, the term “subsistence” is mixed with different characteristics such as

• reproduction (of labour, life etc.)
• reciprocity
• cooperation
• self-sufficient production (production = consumtion)
• agriculture etc.

The term is also used as synonym for a meager livelihood in association with “subsistence wage” (a wage that only allows to scratch a living) or minimum wage (see Wikitionary and Merriam Websters Dictionary). The term is used, but it is typically not reflected.

Therefore I followed the original philosophical and theological meaning of “subsistence” and reconstructed two subsistence terms, where viability stands for keeping the current situation (existence) and subsistence describes the existence by itself (i. e. the ability for changing the current situation).

Based on these ideas, I research in:

• subsistence (and viability): the relevance within economies in general, subsistence and subsistence strategies within “modern” economies
• the right of subsistence (as moral principle)
• resistence: kinds of and ethical aspects
• the (ethical) implications for minimum wage, working poor (low wage sector), “unconditional” basic income, right to work, squatting, land grabbing etc.

A lot of these aspects were analysed within my doctoral thesis “The Right of Subsistence: Term, Economic Traditions and Consequences” (written in German; Das Subsistenzrecht: Begriff, ökonomische Traditionen und Konsequenzen).

In addition, there are two working papers in English, which were written on the occasion of two conferences:

• Economic Thinking and Ethics: An Ethical Approach for Economical Issues. University of Leipzig, MPRA Paper, Nr. 34313, 2011, Online: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/34313/.
• Individual Subsistence: On a Principle of Economy and Society. University of Leipzig, MPRA Paper, Nr. 23405, 2010, Online: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/23405.

If you have some questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.