▁such ▁as ▁Pl ato ▁and ▁Arist ot le . ▁ ▁Both ▁argued ▁for ▁an ▁income ▁that ▁cons iders ▁needs , ▁particularly ▁those ▁that ▁ensure ▁the ▁commun al ▁good . ▁ ▁Arist ot le ▁saw ▁self - su ffic iency ▁as ▁a ▁requirement ▁for ▁happiness ▁which ▁he ▁defined ▁as , ▁‘ that ▁which ▁on ▁its ▁own ▁makes ▁life ▁worthy ▁of ▁choice ▁and ▁lack ing ▁in ▁nothing ’ . ▁ ▁As ▁he ▁placed ▁the ▁responsibility ▁in ▁ens uring ▁that ▁the ▁poor ▁could ▁ear n ▁a ▁sust ain able ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁his ▁ideas ▁are ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁of ▁support ▁for ▁a ▁living ▁w age . ▁The ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁concept ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁later ▁on ▁in ▁medieval ▁sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁Thomas ▁Aqu inas ▁who ▁argued ▁for ▁a ▁' just ▁w age '. ▁ ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁just ▁w age ▁was ▁related ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁just ▁prices , ▁which ▁were ▁those ▁that ▁allowed ▁everyone ▁access ▁to ▁necess ities . ▁ ▁Pr ices ▁and ▁w ages ▁that ▁prevent ed ▁access ▁to ▁necess ities ▁were ▁considered ▁un just ▁as ▁they ▁would ▁imper il ▁the ▁virtue ▁of ▁those ▁without ▁access . ▁ ▁In ▁We alth ▁of ▁Nations , ▁Adam ▁Smith ▁recognized ▁that ▁rising ▁real ▁w ages ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁" im prov ement ▁in ▁the ▁circumstances ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁ranks ▁of ▁people " ▁and ▁are ▁therefore ▁an ▁advantage ▁to ▁society . ▁G row th ▁and ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁liberty ▁were ▁the ▁means ▁by ▁which ▁the ▁labor ing ▁poor ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁secure