In this blog post, we will explore how we can prepare for changing jobs and human self-fulfillment amid the advancement of science and technology.
Humankind in the 21st century is living in a whirlwind of change. Every day, new science and technology and theories are announced, and science and technology are making tremendous progress. People in the Middle Ages could not even imagine communicating with people on the other side of the globe in real time through networks such as the Internet. Similarly, we cannot predict what will happen in the near future. Things that we have only imagined, such as immortal life or large-scale migration to Earth-like planets, may become reality in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps even more extraordinary things may appear in our lives. Such things are gradually becoming visible thanks to advances in science and technology. However, not everyone views the advancement of science and technology in a positive light. For example, if immortal life becomes a reality, ethical issues may arise due to population growth. Many people are concerned about the dark side of scientific and technological advancement. Among these concerns, job and unemployment issues are particularly worrisome.
As numerous jobs such as postal workers and factory workers are being mechanized and automated, those who previously worked in these fields are losing their jobs. Simple labor tasks that humans once performed can now be carried out more quickly and accurately by machines through the input of simple codes. With the emergence of machines that can produce goods more quickly and accurately and work non-stop, people are finding it increasingly difficult to justify investing human resources in simple labor. Moreover, employing people for simple labor incurs additional costs for wages and maintaining working conditions. As a result, most factories and jobs requiring simple labor have been replaced by machines. While this has increased efficiency, those who previously performed these tasks have lost their jobs and become unemployed.
This decline in jobs is not limited to those who worked in simple labor. Young people entering the workforce must now seek jobs that require complex and difficult tasks that machines cannot perform. Otherwise, they will be displaced by machines and unable to find employment. Therefore, young people must compete to obtain higher education. However, even with higher education, securing a job is not guaranteed, as complex and difficult tasks tend to require fewer workers. To secure a job, one must compete with others who have received the same level of education.
As such, the advancement of science and technology has brought significant changes to the job structure, and adapting to this structure and competing to survive requires considerable effort. If one is unable to compete and secure a job, they will inevitably become unemployed. Those who are concerned about the dark side of scientific and technological advancement believe that only a few will win the competition and secure jobs, while the majority will become unemployed and lead difficult lives. However, I do not agree with this opinion. This opinion stems from the idea that if you do not work, you cannot earn money, and ultimately, you cannot survive in a capitalist society. I believe that people who hold this view have forgotten the true meaning of work. Therefore, I would like to discuss the fundamental reason why people work and briefly talk about the changes that will occur in society in the future.
Currently, most people in our society work at their jobs and live on the income they earn. On the other hand, those who do not work live on a small amount of money provided by the state. It is very difficult to live on such a small amount of money. Living in such a society, it is easy to think that it is difficult to survive without working. However, we need to reconsider why we work and have jobs, and how society functions.
“Humans need food, clothing, and shelter to survive. In early human societies, people were self-sufficient in these basic necessities. However, people have different strengths, and they naturally realized that they are more efficient when doing what they are good at. Some people are good at making clothes, some are good at hunting, and others are good at building houses. Through this division of labor, people began to trade with each other to meet their needs. To make this trade more fair and easier, money was invented. People did what they were good at and traded what they needed for the rest of their lives using their own resources, gradually leading more efficient lives. In the process, technology in specific fields also developed, and through this, humans formed societies and built the civilization we have today. Of course, this structure does not explain everything about human society, but it summarizes how humans live in society. In other words, humans work to obtain what they need to live.
However, the situation has now changed. We have entered an era where machines can produce the necessities of life for humans. Although machines cannot yet provide everything humans need, in the not-too-distant future, machines will be able to provide the necessities of life without human intervention. So, in this changed society, why do people need to work? The answer is for self-actualization. This means that people no longer need to work for survival or to earn money. Everyone has goals they want to achieve, no matter how big or small. Some people may want to uncover the secrets of the universe, while others may want to inspire people with their music. However, in the past, people may have had to put their goals of self-actualization on hold in order to obtain the necessities of life with limited resources. Take working part-time at a convenience store, for example. Of course, working at a convenience store and selling items could be a form of self-realization. However, at least in my circle, I have never seen anyone who views it that way. Working at a convenience store does not require extraordinary skills or a high level of education. For this reason, people can easily find work there and receive compensation commensurate with their efforts. Some may use the money they earn to buy necessities, eat meals, or pay rent.
But what if you no longer needed money to buy the things you need to live, or to eat? What if machines operated by society provided goods and food, and you lived in houses built by those machines? In other words, if humans had their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter met, would they still work? Many people might think that if they were provided with everything they needed to live, they would not work. But I don’t think so.
As mentioned earlier, everyone has goals they want to achieve in life and a desire to fulfill those goals. Moreover, if basic needs are met, the desire for self-actualization would grow even stronger. While Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is not absolute, it suggests that humans strive to achieve their goals once their basic needs are satisfied.
Therefore, I believe that when people have their basic needs met and are able to do what they want to do, they will strive for self-actualization. I believe that people are most efficient when they do what they want to do. If people strive to achieve their goals, human society will develop much more than it has today.
The job issues raised by those who worry about the advancement of science and technology will not arise. What they fear is not that people will be unable to work, but that they will lose the reason to live if they no longer have to work. If humans can obtain food, clothing, and shelter from machines, there may be some who do nothing for a while. However, eventually, they too will grow tired of that life and seek out what they truly want to do, and they will do it. Although machines cannot yet produce everything necessary for human life, the fact that many tasks are being replaced by machines makes us feel that the future we fear is not far off. Everyone has dreams and goals. I believe that a society where people can achieve their dreams and goals without worry is the kind of society we should strive for. In that sense, the replacement of simple labor and other tasks by machines is not something we should fear. I believe that the image of humans who have only pursued money as their goal must now disappear.
