Comment by fasterik
8 hours ago
You're using a narrow definition of work as exchanging labor for a paycheck. I don't agree with that definition. I would define it as putting time and energy into a project to meet personal or organizational needs. One of those needs is survival, but that's not the only one. When survival needs are met, people still choose to work on a variety of things that they find meaningful or that confer social status, like artistic projects, scientific research, philosophical inquiry, creating entertainment, raising children, and building communities.
If you're going to dodge discussing the vast amounts of work people do for a paycheck we have nothing to disagree over.
I agree people will still want to do things when society has fully automated away paychecks. That is why I look forward to the elimination of exchanging labor for monetary reward. Let people freely pursue those passions you outline, a paycheck adds nothing in a world where automation provides such people with not only survival, but ample surplus and innovation.
I'm not dodging discussing working for a paycheck, that's included under what I called working to meet the need for survival. You asked me what basis I have for saying that many people enjoy working on things, and I gave you examples of things people choose of their own free will to work on, which you seem to basically agree with.
The idea of "eliminating labor for monetary reward" is quite utopian. I like the sound of the idea too, but I don't think it's based on a realistic understanding of history, economics, or human psychology.