Abstract Basic income and basic capital are two common ideas for redesigning distribution. Basic income provides people with a regular income from government. Basic capital provides people with a lump-sum grant. An important part of scholarly debate concentrates on the merits of basic income versus basic capital. This paper claims that these debates are too narrow. First, current debates overlook the way that a chief inspiration for both ideas, Thomas Paine, wanted basic capital and basic income to be complements not substitutes. Second, it is more instructive to compare basic capital or basic income with a wider set of alternatives than with each other. Widening the debates would benefit the discussion of a basic capital or basic income.

中文翻译：

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基本资本与基本收入的争论是否过于狭隘？

摘要 基本收入和基本资本是重新设计分配的两种常见思路。基本收入为人们提供来自政府的固定收入。基本资本为人们提供一次性补助金。学术辩论的一个重要部分集中在基本收入与基本资本的优劣上。这篇论文声称这些争论过于狭隘。首先，当前的辩论忽视了两种想法的主要灵感来源，托马斯·潘恩，希望基本资本和基本收入是互补而不是替代。其次，将基本资本或基本收入与比彼此更广泛的替代方案进行比较更有指导意义。扩大辩论将有利于对基本资本或基本收入的讨论。