A brief history of creative work and plutonomy : rethinking the modern thought-history of work and life

This book discusses the influence of creative work on human life, and the role it has played in shaping human civilization since antiquity. To do so, it analyzes the history of thought on creative work from three civilizations: Greek, Indian, and Chinese, as well as contemporary neurological studies on consciousness. According to the classical Greeks, humans are instinctively predisposed to use creative work to gain truth, wisdom and happiness; the Indians consider that Dharma (duty, morality, etc.) can be achieved only through work (karma); and for the Chinese, creative work is needed to attain the supreme wisdom (Dao). Modern studies on consciousness show that our brain creates a personal self-model (ego tunnel) when we learn things creatively, and developing such skills provides lifelong protection for the brain. In the 21st century, human involvement in creative work is declining as we use mechanized systems to gain more and more profit, but the wealth falls into the hands of the few superrich: the Plutonomy. As creative work is taken over by AI systems, human work is reduced to operating those machines, and this in turn leads to an exponential growth in the number of part-time workers (Precariat). The declining value of human life today is a consequence of this change in society. Further, reducing creative work means we have no way to distribute wealth, nor do we have any means to address problems like the lack of enthusiasm in the young; the health crisis due to lack of physical activity; or the environmental crisis due to the high demand for energy to run mechanized systems. This book explores these issues. Preface 6 About This Book 12 Introduction 13 Creative Work—Hand-Brain Faculty and Plutonomy 13 Wealth Distribution Through Creative Work 15 Demotion of Creative Work in the Techno-Scientific World Order 17 The Fundamental Philosophical Perspectives on Creative Work 24 The Declining Value of Creative Work and Hand-Brain Faculty in Plutonomy 26 Human Life and Creative Work 27 Upsetting the Energy Balance of the Earth 29 Wisdom of the Great Wall 30 References 31 Contents 32 About the Author 36 Part IHistorical Thoughts on The Dynamics of Plutonomy 37 1 Precarity and Millennial Apathy 38 1.1 AI Systems Versus Hand-Brain Faculty 44 Reference 45 2 Creative Happiness Versus Power of Money 46 Reference 50 3 Technological Unemployment 51 4 The Millennial Precarity and the Herd of Precariat Workers 56 Reference 62 5 Joe’s Story: Precariat’s Life and the Alt-Reality World 63 6 Zero Citizens: Neither Citizens Nor Denizens 66 7 Life in the Comfort and Entertainment Zones 71 7.1 Classical Hedonism Versus Postmodern Comfort and Entertainment 73 Reference 76 8 Hillary’ Story: Plutocrat’s Life in the Alt Reality World 77 References 83 9 Plutonomy: The New Financialized World Order 84 9.1 The Plutonomy Charter 85 9.1.1 The Relevant Points 85 9.2 The New Dialectic of Plutonomy Versus Precarity 87 References 89 10 The Salient Features of Plutonomy 90 References 96 11 The Marxian Discourse on Capitalism: Bourgeoisie Versus Proletarian Narrative 97 References 102 12 Capitalism and the Religiosity of Protestantism 103 References 111 13 Creative Work Versus Artificial Intelligence 112 Reference 115 14 Tyranny of Plutonomy: How Capitalism Redefined 116 References 120 15 Advent of Plutonomy in Japan 121 Reference 124 16 How Plutonomy Thrive 125 16.1 Noriyasu’s Trauma: Life in Precarity 126 References 133 17 European Universalism: Exceptionalism and Racism in Plutonomy 134 References 140 18 The Era of Maniacal Depression and Suicides 141 19 The Emergence of a New Class System 144 Reference 149 20 The Plutonomic World Systems and Marxian Thoughts on Work 150 Reference 155 21 The Life of Carpenter Krishnan and “Creative Work” 156 22 God Versus Money 159 References 161 23 A Perspective from Classical Philosophy to the Millennial Apathy 162 References 164 Part IIRethinking on Human Life and Creative Work 165 24 Creative Work: Freedom and Happiness 166 Reference 169 25 “Deaths of Despair”: Being in the Time of Precarity 170 References 173 26 Creative Work: Some Thoughts from Contemporary Neuro-science 174 Reference 177 27 The Imprint of Femininity in Creative Work 178 27.1 Religion Versus Technoscience 183 References 184 28 The Neurology of Consciousness: The Ego Tunnel 185 References 188 29 Consciousness: The Lower and Higher Dimensional Realms 189 References 195 30 Plato’s Cavemen: Existence in Low Dimensional Realm of Consciousness Versus Freedom 196 References 201 31 Learning by Working: How Body-Hand-Brain Complex Evolves as a Faculty 202 References 207 32 Evolution of Work and Declining Creativity 208 33 The Philosophy of Karma—Exploring Wisdom in Creative Work 212 References 215 34 The Karma Theory and the 200 Million Years of Consciousness Evolution 216 References 219 35 Karma and Dharma as the Foundation of Indian Moral Philosophy 220 References 222 36 Pan Asian Caste System: Way, to Divide Wealth Through “Work” 223 References 229 37 Creative Satisfaction Versus Monetary Profit 230 Reference 233 38 Comfort and Entertainments Versus Creative Work 234 39 What AI Replaces from Our Lives 238 Reference 239 40 Group Work in Daoism: Enchanting the Higher Consciousness Realm 240 References 245 41 The Way of Samurai (Bushido) and Creative Happiness 246 42 Artificial Intelligence and the Making of Zombie Societies 250 Reference 258