The Jobless Economy

All kidding aside, I think we're on to something here. If automation continues along it's present track, will there come a time when nobody has to work for a living? I suppose that some people will always be employed in some kind of supervisory role, but those won't be jobs, they will be positions. So how will the rest of us make a living?

Most of the dystopian scenarios are about autocratic dictatorships, but  history actually seems to be marching in the opposite direction, with people having more rights rather than less. Sure there are still places in the world where the few dominate the many but, the farther back you go in history, the more of that sort of thing you find. Be that as it may, what I would like to address here is the future of economy, not the future of government.

One of the things that distinguishes man from the other animals is the specialization of labor. Well, some other animals do that too, but not nearly to the extent that we do. The earliest specialization among humans was undoubtedly the male and female roles. Then there were the tool and weapon makers and the tool and weapon users. At some point the middle men, the traders, became involved. Along the way, we picked up headmen, healers, shamans, and entertainers. As each specialty developed, a way had to be found to compensate people for their contributions. Many early societies were probably communal, but I doubt that they all practiced "from each according to his ability to each according to his need". In certain trades where the demand exceeded the supply, maybe recognition and adulation were sufficient inducements. At some point it became competitive, with people fighting over the more prestigious jobs, and groups of people fighting over access to resources. Until recently, it was all about how to get the work done. If the time ever comes when work is no longer necessary, what kind of economic structures might be expected to develop?

My browser uses Bing instead of Google, so I guess you could say that I Binged the Institute. I typed "The Beaglesonian Institute" in the search bar, and we were at the top of the list. I clicked on it, and it brought me right here.