In political philosophy, sufficiency is an equity-based distributive justice theory that shifts the focus from relative comparisons of wealth and rational choices towards prioritizing well-being, regardless of income. Harry Frankfurt's seminal essay, "Equality as aMoral Ideal, (external link)" provides a compelling argument for sufficiency. He challenges the conventional focus of justice on outcomes, suggesting focusing on access to opportunities rather than making everyone’s outcomes equal.
Sufficiency has profound implications for public policy and societal values. Ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality housing, mobility, nutrition, leisure, education, healthcare, and other essential services directly fulfills the lower limit of the sufficiency corridors. Individuals deprived of these essential services are at risk of marginalization and are unlikely to lead fulfilling lives or participate fully in society.
If sufficiency was considered in public policies, the definition of poverty would shift to needs-based measures. Poverty thresholds would no longer be defined by the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. Instead, the poverty threshold would be defined by the capacity of structures and institutions to deliver the necessary services for human well-being, regardless of income.
The focus of sufficiency policies is on provisioning systems (external link), to satisfy human needs (external link) and ensure that everyone has access to essential services without overshooting safe boundaries of the earth system. Ultimately, sufficiency aims to eradicate all forms of poverty through institutions and infrastructure that provide essential services for all citizens.
The ecological crisis underscores the urgency of adopting sufficiency policies. By focusing on meeting basic needs while avoiding the demand for natural resources, sufficiency supports community-based solutions and investment in infrastructure. The aim is to withstand the impacts of climate change, such as improved flood defenses, resilient housing, and a modal shift in mobility.
The state of global economics provides evidence that investing in people’s well-being is unlikely to occur if maximizing utility continues to be the priority of public policies. Instead, governments should increase revenues through i) progressive taxation, where higher income brackets and wealth are taxed at higher rates, ii) reallocation of existing budgets to stop subsidizing harmful solutions, and iii) decommodification of essential services by avoiding reliance on market mechanisms in provisioning systems.
Similarly, the race to access and control the natural resources needed for the so-called energy transition will exacerbate existing inequalities, putting more pressure on vulnerable countries, as illustrated by the deal proposed to Ukraine to access its rare materials. Without sufficiency, the peace experienced in OECD countries is unlikely to extend to the rest of the world. On the contrary, it will be jeopardized to satisfy the endless wants of the few.
Ultimately, sufficiency is about peace and human rights. By integrating the principles of sufficiency with the moral obligation to address the ecological crisis to keep the planet livable for future generations, we must develop more comprehensive and effective policies that promote human flourishing, social justice, and environmental sustainability.