Post-Work
Aristotle wrote in Book 1 of ‘Politics’ that if machines advanced enough, human labour would be unnecessary. If automation continues down the path it is, there is a potential finality that human work is no longer needed. People would be able to live however they want, and anything they want to do is purely voluntary. This would remove the issue of unemployment, as employment would cease to exist.
Many groups, such as the Zeitgeist Movement have advocated for such a world, where we are free from monotony, and we leave that work to the machines. Machines are more efficient and can work for longer hours and in worse conditions. They want to abolish jobs that aren’t useful to society, an example they give is marketing. If machines can do all the necessary work, all jobs can be abolished.
A world where technological advancements have made most of if not all jobs obsolete. People are free to participate in whatever activity they find fulfilling, whether that be socialising, hobbies or a creative endeavour. All necessities are provided by the state or a basic income (see UBI). A seemingly utopian society, which wouldn’t become a reality until long after we are all gone.
If we had no reason to do anything, would we? There’s a strong cultural attitude towards productivity, and I doubt this future society will exist if we can’t change this attitude. The thought that if people aren’t nearly forced to do something… they won’t. We need to find fulfilment from within ourselves, not the work we produce. Or maybe in our current society, we automatically perceive jobs as something we actively don’t want to do. So in a post-work society, we can pursue ‘work’ we actually find rewarding. It’s said this society may spark a new age, one that we might be in the transition to. The imagination age, which would succeed the current information age, would be when creative endeavours are the primary driver for our economy, no longer knowledge. This would bring us past Peter Drucker’s vision of a post-capitalist world, and into something uncharted.
A post-work society has a likelihood to also be a post-scarcity economy. This is where there is an abundance of all resources needed for comfortable survival. This removes the need to work to make a living, as there is no scarcity. A world where we have everything we need, and the freedom to do whatever. Technology is forever improving, and advances in renewable energy, 3D printing, and space exploration can bring us closer to making this a reality. If we continue to research and develop these new technologies, we could have a future which is abundant, accessible and sustainable for all.