As this section develops it will explore the dangers which may arise if we misunderstand the impact the rise of the robots will have on our society. We introduce the term hamartia; the idea that faulty diagnoses will lead to faulty prescriptions of action, and examine some current proposals which exemplify this. Chief among these is the misconception that the capitalist integument must be preserved throughout this time of transformation. While there is a strong case to be made that historically the system of capitalism has been successful in facilitating technological advance and improving the lives of millions, it does not follow that capitalism will continue to be our best option once the means and relations of production are revolutionized. From a historical materialist perspective a new socio-political system ( a new superstructure ) should be encouraged to emerge to accommodate the new mode of production. If we misunderstand this we run the risk of inadvertently empowering a … [Read More...]
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Hamartia
Universal Basic Income and the Politics of Production
“…UBI has the most yield when it is linked to a broader radical redistribution of productive property.” This post was originally published on the criticallegalthinking.com website: Universal Basic Income and the Politics of Production by Scott Timcke • 25 April 2016 Of late there have been a growing number of people who take seriously the promise of […]
Hamartia
The Greek word hamartia is often translated as “missing the mark.” It is often associated with an error in logic. It is a mistake or a misstep arising from a misunderstanding. It is a weakness or a failing rather than overt malice. In classic Greek myth it refers to a character flaw which leads to the hero’s downfall. […]
Job Mortgages? No Thanks!
This Guardian article proposes the “solution” of job mortgages, one of the worst proposals for dealing with the displacement of workers caused by the rise of the robots that I have ever heard of. As usual, the error lies in still thinking within the capitalist integument and attempting to preserve existing class structure. Here’s an […]
Alienation
Mike Wallace Interviews Erich Fromm, 1958
Erich Fromm discusses the state of alienation imposed by the capitalist system and the potential for a more human existence.
A Two-Minute Video on the Subject of Alienation
From BBC Radio 4 via YouTube