Is there honor in the grind? In a future with a different material reality, what will work, and doing work, look like? Is work a necessity of human existence, or only a current necessity for survival? If we no longer have to work, will we? In a utopian future, who gets to decide what work is, and who has to do it?
Economists have long posited that eventually there will be no need for labor—maybe in our lifetimes, or maybe after. In this Future Café, though, we’ll look past the realm of the economists (yes, even Keynes and Marx) and explore what it might mean to exist in a world without work, or with a radically different understanding of it.
Future Café is a space for University of Chicago undergraduate students to think creatively, cooperatively, and radically about long-term futures. No prior knowledge of the topic of discussion is required, nor is there “homework.”
***Future Café events are open to all undergraduate students at the University of Chicago.*** To participate, register at the link above or join the Future Café mailing list and we’ll email you the Zoom link. Please email us if you require any accommodations to enable your full participation.
