Get ready for the plunge
In a Nutshell
The video dismantles the **Assumption of Indispensability of Labor (AIL)**—humanity's historical role as irreplaceable sensors, processors, and actuators—now obsolete due to AI and robotics automating routine tasks, polarizing jobs, and collapsing labor-derived demand via derived demand and marginal revenue product substitution. Economically, this triggers funding crises for wage-based systems and demand-side under-consumption; metaphysically, it induces **ontological vertigo** by shattering cosmic middle-manager identities baked into Eastern relational duties and Western divine stewardship. Post-labor solution: embrace **post-nihilism**, reject servant myths, and become self-generating principles in a society of autonomous, value-creating minds.
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Working on post-labor economics book in Kickstarter format, going well. Another dimension is life after labor. Audience requests meaning structure. Criticisms highlight gaps, like demand side after supply side discussions. Many accept financing household income via three bucket model: wages, capital, transfers. Can build universal high income and capital-based economic model, but what about meaning? Initially dismissed as individual's responsibility, not state's, but became interesting. Landed on assumption of indispensability of labor (AIL).
Throughout human history, requirement for human labor. Humans provide three basic things: sensors (eyes, ears, touch), processing (brain: problem-solving, memory, learning), actuators (hands, output, voice to modify environment). These give economic utility. Until now, no substitute for humans. Humans fungible within skills (e.g., trained astrophysicists or machinists interchangeable), but humanity irreplaceable—no other species could build pyramids, dams, or send people to moon.
AIL from economic perspective straightforward, but metaphysical and ontological concerns. Without objective use or purpose to others or divinity, lose place in cosmic hierarchy. Fear rooted in cosmology, mysticism, religion, philosophy. Ontological shock and ontological vertigo when labor indispensable no longer holds.
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