Baseline

If we want society to provide for the fullest possible human potential, there needs to be a clear distinction between a lack of basic 'necessities of life' and an overprovision, beyond those basic necessities, that undermine the dynamism of a culture and blunt the cutting edge of effort and excellence in the population.

BACKGROUND

1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs[1]
2. Roosevelt's Second Bill of Rights[2]
3. Thomas Paine "The Rights of Man"[3]
4. John Stuart Mill "Utilitarianism"[4]
5. Manfred Max-Neef "Fundamental Human Needs"[5]
6. Michael Mintrom "Creating Cultures of Excellence"[6]
7. Alfie Kohn "The Case Against Competition"[7]