Life-first welfare and the scope for a 'eudemonic ethic' of social security

This chapter explores the idea of an alternative 'life-first' approach to flexicurity. It considers recent changes in the nature of labour markets under capitalism, re-visits our understanding of the relationship between 'work' and 'welfare' and critiques the failures of modern social citizenship. It draws on the Aristotelian notion of eudaimonic wellbeing and the Marxist notion of species being to argue for a social policy that would respect, promote and fulfil the human subject's need to work, reflecting on the responsibilities of employers and the powers of the state.