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postlabor-utopia
A society where machines have largely replaced human labor, potentially liberating people from toil but risking loss of meaning and dignity if work is the sole source of social value.
1 chapter across 1 book
Four Futures: Visions of the World After Capitalism (2016)Peter Frase
Chapter 7
This chapter explores the vision of a postcapitalist communist society characterized by equality and abundance, drawing on Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano and Karl Marx's writings. It critiques the patriarchal and work-centered notions of meaning tied to wage labor and automation, arguing for a future where labor is transcended and freedom begins beyond necessity. The chapter emphasizes the potential for technology and clean energy to enable a post-scarcity world where work becomes a fulfilling choice rather than an obligation.