Life without Labor? It’s Natural

Abstract

As a result of the development of automation and robotization in the economy of developed countries, the need for labor is reduced, which entails a decline in employment. Given the preservation of existing trends, the labor society is transformed into a rent society, with leisure being the main occupation of the majority of its members. In this regard, concerns are voiced about the loss of habitual meaning of life and, as a consequence, the degradation of the individual and society. The author puts forward a thesis that social activity is more natural (that is, biologically conditioned) for a human being than labor. In support of this fact factual evidence is given, which indicates that for most of their history people have practiced an appropriating economy, which allowed for achieving maximum production with minimal labor. Thus, members of pre-agricultural and extra-agricultural communities could devote most of their time to rest, communication and a variety of group rituals. It is possible that in the emerging post-labor society there will be a similar situation, and the close future might turn out to be similar to the distant past.