A Living Wage

Ryan's Ph.D. dissertation was published as A Living Wage in 1906. In it Ryan made an economic and moral argument for government-mandated minimum wage legislation. In the first excerpt, Ryan argues that the Natural Rights provide the justification for a Living Wage. He also counters many modern arguments opposing Natural Rights. In the second excerpt, Ryan specifies a specific amount of money that constitutes a living wage. This detailed plan bolstered his case for reform by moving from the abstract to the concrete.