- This article explains the concept of âGift Economy 2.0â proposed by Keio University Professor Daisuke Aratani.
- The main points are as follows
- If Gift Economy 2.0 permeates in parallel with the capitalist economy, the âmoralityâ of the capitalist economy may no longer be centralized throughout society.
- As a result, some may feel that they are forced to respect the values of others, and that the social âsecurityâ that has been maintained thus far will collapse.
- However, if the mentality that prioritizes âsecurityâ deprives people of the opportunity to âtrustâ others, then the anxiety of losing âsecurityâ can be compensated for by âtrust.
- In a society where value judgments are not centralized, it is important to start by âtrustingâ others and then to deepen mutual âtrust.
- In short, this article suggests the possibility of a new economy not bound by the âmoralityâ of capitalism and that âtrustâ in others will be important there.
raurublock I have a feeling that the end of capitalism will come soon, but perhaps not as a world where you donât have to earn money to live, but as a world where you canât earn money to live. I think it will not be as âa world where you can live without earning moneyâ but as âa world where you canât live even if you earn moneyâ.
nishio I guess âliveableâ and ânot liveableâ is a false dichotomy, itâs really about what standard of living you can live at. For example, beef would become something only a few wealthy people could eat.
nishio Iâm wondering if a country with an infrastructure as good as Japanâs wonât experience a level of âwork but eatâ situation where many people will starve to death over the next 50 years. On the other hand, I think it is possible that beef will become something that the majority of people canât eat even once a year.
nishio In terms of food, clothing, and shelter, I donât think it will be âno place to liveâ if the housing environment allows for dwellings that are 30 years old or so because the population is decreasing, In terms of clothing, people may start wearing more shabby T-shirts, but I donât think it will become âthereâs nothing to wearâ
nishio In the next few decades the price of what can be automated will go down and the price of what cannot will go up. The âI can live without workingâ crowd is of the opinion that life can be provided by things that can be automated, which might be eating factory mass-produced koroogi powder, or entertainment might be a comic book written by an AI
nishio To put it a little more mathematically, if there are two goods that compete for demand (e.g., beef and cricket powder), A and B, and B becomes cheaper and cheaper as the cost of production decreases due to automation, the demand for A will decrease. As B becomes cheaper and cheaper due to lower production costs caused by automation, the demand for A will decrease as more and more customers move from A to B because of the lower price. If the demand for A decreases, the price will also decrease, resulting in a decrease in profit for the producer of A.
nishio If the profit margins of A producers decrease, there will be fewer A producers, and at some point, the demand from âcustomers who do not choose B because of priceâ will be balanced by the demand for smaller quantities at higher prices. A producer who goes out of business will be forced to sell his products to the labor market. The price of labor will decrease because the A producers who have gone out of business will flow into the labor market and increase supply. Repeat this process and cheat and the price and purchasing power of human labor goes down.
nishio Even if this were foreseeable, there is no escape. Because among the A producers, the ones who survive are âthe ones who were most efficient in productionâ, in other words, the ones who are aggressive in automation will remain. The race to automate has already started, and running away equals losing.
nishio As a manager, your choice is automation, and as a worker, your choice is âIf my job is going to disappear, I should move as quickly as possible to an industry that is likely to remain or be newly created, and improve my work efficiency there. If your job is about to be lost, your choice as a worker is to move to a new industry that is likely to remain or be newly created as soon as possible and improve the efficiency of your work there. The less efficient jobs will be replaced by machines in that order.
Rebuttal.
In response, it is certainly possible that increased automation will result in the loss of some jobs and a decrease in the value of labor. However, this does not necessarily lead to a lower standard of living for many people.
- As automation increases productivity and lowers the price of goods and services, peopleâs real purchasing power will increase.
- While some jobs are lost through automation, new jobs are also created. Historically, technological innovation has increased employment in the long run.
- With appropriate redistributive policies from government, the benefits of automation can be enjoyed by society as a whole.
- In an increasingly automated society, people do not necessarily need to spend as much time at work. Increased leisure time leads to improved quality of life.
- Through education and vocational training, workers are able to adapt to new technologies and obtain more advanced jobs.
Thus, the impact of automation is complex and need not necessarily be pessimistic. What is important is to put in place policies and social systems to ensure that the benefits of technological innovation are widely distributed. By doing so, we will be able to turn automation into an opportunity to improve peopleâs quality of life.
Substantial Purchasing Power
- thatâs so
More leisure time leads to better quality of life
- I donât think this is so, there are going to be those types of people and those who are bored and want entertainment. - Entertainment peer production
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