Michael Heinig shows that the welfare state as described in the German Basic Law is primarily conducive to ensuring the minimum prerequisites for a self-determined life.

As far as constitutional law is concerned, the welfare state is a vague phenomenon and is generally ignored in the current theory of constitutional law. There are however good reasons for maintaining that the welfare state as described in the German Basic Law is primarily supposed to be conducive to ensuring the minimum prerequisites for a self-determined life. Hans Michael Heinig shows that the establishment of equality, solidarity, social justice and security take secondary importance as constitutional goals. If the main function of the social welfare state is to serve freedom, its theoretical and dogmatic shape becomes clear, since this function is, according to the constitution, the reason for and the limits to the welfare state. Those questions regarding fundamental social rights or constitutional claims to the minimum requirements in order to meet essential needs will be answered just as well as those questions pertaining to the limits to redistribution in the welfare state.

Autorentext
ist Professor für Öffentliches Recht, insb. Kirchen- und Staatskirchenrecht an der Juristischen Fakultät der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen und Leiter des Kirchenrechtlichen Instituts der EKD.