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From: plh@ukma.UUCP (Paul L. Hightower)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Measure of success?
Message-ID: <1143@ukma.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 5-Mar-85 10:22:19 EST
Article-I.D.: ukma.1143
Posted: Tue Mar  5 10:22:19 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Mar-85 03:46:40 EST
References: <257@cmu-cs-k.ARPA> <761@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA> <457@ssc-vax.UUCP>, <780@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARRe: Measure of success?
Organization: Univ. of KY Mathematical Sciences
Lines: 29


>>How about defining 'standard of living' as the fraction of the population
>>that do not HAVE to work.
>
>...How about changing it to read "the fraction of time the part of the 
>population that has to work is expected to work."  [edited.]
>
>Ignoring sleep (which is vital to staying alive, and hence can be
>considered "work"), a neolithic culture is once again near 100%. A
>post-agricultural society shows a little drop (call it 80%), an early
>post-industrial society shows another small drop to (figure 6 12 hour
>days/week) 65%. We're at about 35% now.

Are you sure a neolithic society is near 100% ?  According to one book, 
"Cannibals and Kings" (I forget the author), neolithic societies spent
approximately 3 hours a day hunting (men) or gathering & chores (women.)
The rest was spent socializing, gossiping, playing, or making war.  

With the extinction of large land mammals and depletion of easy game, men
resorted to agriculture to provide food.  Each new step toward "civilization"
led to an increasingly long work day, as ever more labor-intensive means of
production were employed to increase yield.  This process reached its nadir
with the Industrial Revolution and 15-hour work days.  This century has 
seen the turning point, as capital-intensive production has finally begun
raising leisure again in developed countries.  With luck, we'll eventually
be as well off as our neolithic ancestors!

Paul Hightower
University of Kentucky