klaitnerSun, Jan 10, 2010 The notion of superabundance as inevitable is challenging. Not because it is inconceivable that we could solve the technical challenges around energy and molecular assembly, but rather precisely because we could currently provide the basic needs of the entire world, but do not.
Human nature includes individuation and advantage seeking. Something will always be scarce, as if we provide abundance in all things, we will create scarcity elsewhere. Scarcity relative to basic needs currently exists and is possibly avoidable, but scarcity as a concept is created by mind, and could only be eliminated by the enlightenment of all beings.
Let us for a moment allow for the singularity. If we were to transform human beings into incorporeal beings without basic needs, would we need money? Would we exchange value? What form would it take, Attention? Trust? How would greed express itself?
If we were all provided tomorrow with a machine that provided anything we desired, would we all be whole, satisfied and willing to apply ourselves to the betterment of all beings?
Also worth considering, if value exchange is to persist, what form will it take (beyond money?). Will we still need a universal medium of value that can be transformed into any other form (and is represented by something utterly useless and hard to make more of)? Will a recent history of specialization and trade be replaced with self sufficiency?
The notion of superabundance as inevitable is challenging. Not because it is inconceivable that we could solve the technical challenges around energy and molecular assembly, but rather precisely because we could currently provide the basic needs of the entire world, but do not.
Human nature includes individuation and advantage seeking. Something will always be scarce, as if we provide abundance in all things, we will create scarcity elsewhere. Scarcity relative to basic needs currently exists and is possibly avoidable, but scarcity as a concept is created by mind, and could only be eliminated by the enlightenment of all beings.
Let us for a moment allow for the singularity. If we were to transform human beings into incorporeal beings without basic needs, would we need money? Would we exchange value? What form would it take, Attention? Trust? How would greed express itself?
If we were all provided tomorrow with a machine that provided anything we desired, would we all be whole, satisfied and willing to apply ourselves to the betterment of all beings?
Also worth considering, if value exchange is to persist, what form will it take (beyond money?). Will we still need a universal medium of value that can be transformed into any other form (and is represented by something utterly useless and hard to make more of)? Will a recent history of specialization and trade be replaced with self sufficiency?