Post-Capitalism: Reducing Climate Change While Increasing the Quality of Life

We discussed post-capitalism as a state to globally reduce climate change and increase the quality of life. In postcapitalism the world's system is no longer capitalism. We present different perspectives of authors to understand postcapitalism as an alternative to capitalism. According to some classical Marxists and evolutionary theorists, post-capitalism can emerge as a result of capitalism becomes obsolete. Other authors propose strategies to intentionally substitute capitalism, like socialism, anarchism, and degrowth. In the 1990’s, Drucker described the possible evolution of capitalist society in his book Post-Capitalist Society. Drucker claimed that knowledge, rather than capital, land, or labor, will be the source of wealth. In a post-capitalist society classes are expected to be separated into knowledge workers or service workers. Drucker also supported rethinking the concept of intellectual property by creating a system of universal licenses in which knowledge will be accessible to all. In the 2010’s Mason indicated that income inequality, periodic boom-and-bust cycles and capitalism's contributions to climate change have led to seriously consider what a post-capitalist society would be and function. Post-capitalism is expected to be possible by the new advances in automation and information technology, both of which are transforming production costs towards zero. Srnicek and Williams stated that capitalism crisis has been characterized by the inability to employ all members of society. They argued that there is a growing population who are outside the formal, waged work, living on the informal subsistence or by illegal means. In their book Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work, they demand Universal Basic Income as a policy of dignity. These post-capitalist perspectives contribute to understand and overcome weaknesses of capitalism including climate change. Also, increasing the quality of life of people who actively oppose climate change and precarious jobs in this capitalist world system.