Redistribution and selfishness.

This article examines the impact of redistributive taxation on individuals' incentives to engage in productive activities that increase national wealth, focusing on societies composed entirely of unselfish and impartially beneficent individuals. It argues that even in such societies, redistributive taxation can discourage wealth creation because people hold diverse and often conflicting views about what constitutes benefiting others, leading them to prefer directing resources themselves rather than through government redistribution. Using examples such as Mormon communities and environmentally motivated businesses, the article illustrates how differing conceptions of the good life affect individuals' willingness to work under high tax regimes. It also critiques G.A. Cohen's "camping trip" analogy for socialism by highlighting the challenge of pluralism in real societies, where shared agreement on well-being is lacking. The article concludes that the disadvantage of redistribution in reducing productive incentives is more complex and persistent than commonly acknowledged, even absent selfishness.