Research Article

Keynes's grandchildren and Marx's gig workers: Why human labour still matters

Authors: Hamid R. EKBIA (Indiana University Bloomington) , Bonnie A. NARDI (University of California)

  • Keynes's grandchildren and Marx's gig workers: Why human labour still matters

    Research Article

    Keynes's grandchildren and Marx's gig workers: Why human labour still matters

    Authors: ,

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Abstract

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.

The current anxiety around the globe regarding automation and “the future of work”, the irrelevance of human labour and the superfluity of humans is based on recurring ideas about technology, work and economic value. Not quite novel, the debate on these ideas dates back to prominent thinkers, such as Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. To grasp the present moment, therefore, the authors revisit this debate within the broader history of capitalism. With a focus on labour and technology, they bring attention to the hidden forms of value creation in the current economy and to the blind spots of the historical debate, and envision various possible scenarios for the future.

Keywords: future of work, automation, theory, capitalism, technological change

Rights: © The authors 2019 Journal compilation © International Labour Organization 2019

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