End of Manly Labor

Ever since I read “End of Work” by Jeremy Rifkin (published in 1995), I have noticed increased evidence of his thesis that the need of workers will not sustain the supply. The world will have its material needs met with far less fewer workers, resulting from the increased use of robots.  He and many others since then have perused the possible ways in which those unable to find work will be able to sustain themselves. It is within this context that the notion of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) emerged as a mechanism to permit everyone to have sufficient money to sustain themselves.

Rifkin addressed the hidden aspect of a world where the need of work would not be needed by suggesting the need of people to develop other types of meaningful activities, e.g., volunteering their services. I can recall at the time wondering if the psychology of the displaced workers would enable them to transition from the routine of going to work, engaging in meaningful work, and returning home after a day of labor, to such discretionary types of activities.

Since my reading of Rifkin’s book, I have zeroed in the need to identify a mechanism for economic sustenance. I have found that Rifkin’s notion of UBI has only gained more traction among those considering the issue.

Rob Walker’s article resurrected the uncomfortable question about traditional workers being able to be satisfied personally with not working, even if their monetary needs were addressed through UBI. Work does more than being a mechanism to earn money. Work has personal meaning over and above the earned income. 

Walker’s point seems to be imponderable at this point. He references options identified by others, but I found none of them meaningful. From an evolutionary perspective, males may not have grown beyond the traditional role of being a sustainer of family needs. Males, in general, seldom find meaning in “stay at home Dads” roles.

So the question that I have to keep addressing is not only how can we survive economically in a world where the demand of work is not commensurate with the need, but also how will we survive a world of leisure. How will people spend their leisure time in a meaningful way?