The Future of Civilization. IV
7 Two Major Theoretical Clues
Let’s try a different approach. I can think about two ways to move on with our quest. We can look for hints and clues in reality. Should we see something suitable, we can try to refine that and turn into a nice logical concept. Or we can just try to build a concept theoretically from scratch. Or we can do the former and the latter and see whether they meet.
Well, I do see several theoretical and practical hints seemingly pointing out to the same “object”: The civilization to come.
7.1 Free Time versus Labour Time
The first clue is coming from Karl Marx:
“The saving of labour time [is] equal to an increase of free time, i.e. time for the full development of the individual, which in turn reacts back upon the productive power of labour as itself the greatest productive power. From the standpoint of the direct production process it can be regarded as the production of fixed capital, this fixed capital being man himself. It goes without saying, by the way, that direct labour time itself cannot remain in the abstract antithesis to free time in which it appears from the perspective of bourgeois economy… Free time — which is both idle time and time for higher activity — has naturally transformed its possessor into a different subject, and he then enters into the direct production process as this different subject. This process is then both discipline, as regards the human being in the process of becoming; and, at the same time, practice [Ausübung], experimental science, materially creative and objectifying science, as regards the human being who has become, in whose head exists the accumulated knowledge of society. (Marx, Karl. 1857–61.Outlines of the Critique of Political Economy, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/Marx_Grundrisse.pdf)
7.1.1 The First Sight at the Answer We Look for
First, it is fleshed out accurately into a claim taken from the above excerpt itself: “Free time — which is both idle time and time for higher activity — has naturally transformed its possessor into a different subject, and he then enters into the direct production process as this different subject.”
Second, what does that entail? Supposedly, “different subject” works better. What does that mean? That is obvious: Increasing productivity directly or indirectly — by changes to the work flow as such. The latter means increase of the share of creative work in the production, which is the same as to say that “free time activities” permeate the production.
From that, third, follows that increasing proportion of free time to “routine time” labour must grow in favour of the free time in order to increase productivity more and more.
Now, if we prolong this trend into infinity we will come to the “economy of free time.” It’s not easy to imagine how that may work but formal-logically, it is economy where things produced and services rendered in free time of, consequently, “free individuals” or, in one word — by personalities only. This is nothing else but logic, pure and simple.
The economy of free time comes to play when we “reach” infinity, which is logical. And it looks real for the trend is driven by market forces, by the strife for increasing productivity. That means, we finally see what the coming civilization looks like, or to say this more accurately, we see the first aspect of it. It is “economy of free time.”
What does the term denominate? We can presume it is the economy where ultimately everything will be done and made, developed, created, produced, manufactured, provided, traded, rendered by personalities, that is, by free individuals at their free time and, respectively, free will. The assumption is absolutely formal for now.
The last point to infer from our exercises with the Marx’s idea is the following. Suppose, human part in the future production will be creativity only. How will everything else be done then? The answer is obvious — by machines, hardware and software.
No matter how fantastic all that may sound it was work of logic starting with the Marx’s premise. If Marx is right our conclusion is valid. The only thing needed is courage to accept it.
7.1.2 The Economy of Free Time
Now, I propose to relax on account of logic for a little while and contemplate lightmindedly that first face of the civilization to come — just in order to get used to it a bit. Yes, in the beginning, I need to get used to the formal, philosophically speaking “empty,” concept of the “economy of free time.”
What do people do at their free time? Marx had reminded us what was never a secret at all. Free time is the time free of duties. That is, it is time of those who are free from duties, at all or sometimes. Anyway, when there are no duties people entertain themselves or… create (I do not consider at the moment a case seemingly out of the rule: when people “create for hire”). We deviate slightly from Marx’s understanding here but remember — we conducted a certain logical operation on his claim and thus we are in our right.
Who are the “people of free time,” in short — personalities? First of all, they are artists, composers, writers, inventors, etc. — all those who see the sense and meaning of life in creativity. Some of them are not capable of doing anything else at all, never, nowadays and in the past. It doesn’t matter how far in the past you look — you can always encounter people who live their lives having free time only. It also doesn’t matter what kind of feedback they get in terms of rewards and punishments.
On the other hand, evidently, this kind of people have sense of life in being themselves, exclusively. Actually, we can make a similar claim about any free time including that used for entertainment. For free time is time when you are not obliged to do what others tell you to and may pick something as you please, i.e., according to who you are. Free time is time-for-individual-for-oneself. And again, when we talk about “free time for creativity” we, by the same token, talk about personalities.
Having said the above, let us ask again what the “economy of free time” could mean? Economy is the realm of production and trade. Therefore, economy of free time is one where things produced and services rendered as outcome of creativity or entertainment or both. Therefore the coming civilization, which presented itself already as “economy of free time,” now reveals its other faces as “economy of creativity” and “economy of personalities,” as well.
So much from the hint given by Karl Marx. We thank him and move on. Are there other ideas corresponding to the, now we can put it this way: (1) economy of creativity or, all the same, (2) economy of free time or (3) economy of personalities out there?
7.2 Dialogue of Cultures
Yes, there are such ideas there. I have reasons to believe they are many but will talk about one, the deepest, most refined, in my view, and, at the same time, the one I most familiar with. This is about the philosophy of “The Dialogue of Cultures” by Vladimir Bibler, my teacher. I’ll write down just a few lines concerning philosophy itself, for the sake of context. We need only some conclusions for the paper.
7.2.1 Logic of Dialogue <=> Logic of Paradox
Philosophy of the dialogue of cultures develops interdependently with dialogic (logic of dialogue and dialogue as logic) and paradox-logic (logic of paradox and paradox as logic). Terms “culture,” “dialogue” and “paradox” are not used as they are in vernacular. They are specific within said theories and are used as such.
7.2.2 Culture is Dialogue of Cultures
This means that any culture as the mainstream idea of thinking and free communication (dialogue) develops within a certain civilization as a dialogue with other cultures, each of which is a mainstream idea of thinking and free communication and develops in dialogue with other cultures, and so on.
Note: The same thing happens at the level of personality. That is, a personality develops in dialogue with other personalities. I had this understanding in mind when I mentioned the coming civilization as a civilization of personalities.
The above paragraphs imply that culture, dialogue and paradox are related to each other, or rather, one infers from another in theory and one entails the other in practice. And that’s all from the theory at the moment.
7.2.3 Culture Shifts into Epicentre of Being
That is one Vladimir Bibler’s formula, which determines what happens to humankind. The process began in the 20th century and is in full swing nowadays. The Bibler’s formula helps substantiate our preliminary findings and make another step forward, as well. Since the formula begins with the culture, I want to add on several other interrelated definitions just to make the claim more comprehensible and convincing.
7.2.4 Culture is:
- The realm of creative works
- The realm of dialogue (free human communication)
- The means of personal self-determination
- The realm of ideas
- Dialogue of cultures
7.2.5 Translating the Formula
Now, if I try to squeeze all listed notions into the Bibler’s formula, it will fit into vernacular and read thus: (Nowadays) creativity and dialogue tend to become the defining force in all aspects of human life. In particular that means they tend to become a direct productive force in all industries.
Is this true or false? In our further quest, we want to use this idea as a microscope or telescope or other measuring instrument to explore reality and see whether it works or not.
8 Exploring the Formula
To illustrate the formula (“Culture shifts…”) Bibler pointed out to the following, in no particular order:
8.1 Wars and Revolutions
In the 20th century social cataclysms forced millions of people out of their ways and thus to redetermine their lives anew. That determination, if happens at all, happens as personal choice and development only. Which choice and development is possible through individual critical thinking, communication with creative works and dialogue in small groups, all three ways interrelated. It cannot happen otherwise. It does not happen otherwise.
8.2 Values
In obvious connection with the above, the 20th and 21st centuries are witnesses of a powerful desire for values of all kinds, including well-forgotten ancient or not ancient, but, nevertheless, forgotten, neglected, despised, criticized or condemned, “ours” or “theirs” — just any and all. This happens, again, in the interconnected individual critical thinking, communication with the creative works and dialogue in small groups. And vice versa, returning to the first point, we must recognize the fact that the main social cataclysms of the 20th century mentioned above were driven mainly or exclusively by values.
8.3 Creativity in Production
The natural development of modern markets over a fairly long period of time demonstrates an ever-faster offering of new products and services. That is, producers and providers simply cannot rest on the same products and services for long but need to improve them or come up with new ones constantly. This trend entails growing ratio of time devoted to creativity to the time of routine work. But as soon as we pronounced “creativity,” we thereby pronounced “interrelated individual thinking, communication with creative works and dialogue in small groups!” As for the “production of new,” on the other hand, it becomes the main means of competition.
PS. The rest of the work:
Part 1. Free Market, Monopolies, Crude Communism: https://medium.com/where-does-this-world-go/part-1-8c68d5030757?source=friends_link&sk=7613c0f6aadbb17b89a2b35a0b0195d9
Part 2. Ideals, Reality, Fantasy. Where to Go?: https://medium.com/where-does-this-world-go/the-future-of-civilization-ii-1210d5a0db78?source=friends_link&sk=eded6e79c22067840822f958b3c939f8
Part 3. Ideal Solution, My Wishes, Problem Statement: https://medium.com/where-does-this-world-go/the-future-of-civilization-iii-1548e4295352?source=friends_link&sk=d0f93e2c44f54b06de26480be38f3be2
Part 4. Economy of Free Time, Dialogue of Cultures, Etc.
Part 5. Culture, Civilization & Automation: https://medium.com/where-does-this-world-go/the-future-of-civilization-5-4ea72ac2f705?source=friends_link&sk=1b8017e58afa7f33c5120dd73f879f27
Part 6. Socium of Small Groups, Socium of Freedom: https://medium.com/@anatolyvolynets/the-future-of-civilization-small-groups-1033297794c9?source=friends_link&sk=91dddf1ea25c823d33ee80fd5077dadd
Part 7. Transition from Present to Future: https://medium.com/@anatolyvolynets/the-future-of-civilization-vii-60e7220ae250
Part 8. The Disease of Intellectual Property: https://medium.com/@anatolyvolynets/67ef8718113c?source=friends_link&sk=1da4f7c199d2c8e08f2b20b84d7d5682
