Yes, work is necessary. Even before money was invented, our ancestors still needed to work for their basic needs. They had to harvest or hunt for food, build their houses and sew their clothing. All of that is work.
I think you may be missing the point. Pretty much all developed countries produce an abundance of these things, and more to the point have automated a lot of it. A lot of jobs that used to be done by many people can now be done by a few.
It would kinda suck to end up as one of the poor schlubs who has to be one of the "few" who works while everybody else kicks back and screws around all day.
We aren't our ancestors, and this is an unprecedented time in human history as we transition to the age of automation. Work has always been necessary thus far, that's going to change soon.
it's already unnecessary. Look at how many people are employed in the service or entertainment industry. We have people who can earn a living travelling around the world teaching obscure dance styles. This is not 'work' in the way that you mean, but it is definitely 'work' in the economic sense; it is one person engaging in a trade of their skills for another person's money. What automation will do is to free up individuals to do these sorts of exchange which would have been impossible with a less efficient use of resources; what economics does is makes sure as many people as possible are doing this 'new work' not just for S&G, but also in the service of others.
boyter|12 years ago
bane|12 years ago
gnaritas|12 years ago
dnautics|12 years ago