Society of Esteem

1September2010

Copyrights in a society of esteem?

Posted by Cecilia under: Art; Economy; Science.

In a society where esteem replaces competition, where esteem replaces the hierarchy of values there is no need for copyrights.

Having copyrights is needed where our reputation depends on our possessions.  Innovations or art works need to be protected by copyright because their possession guarantees us a good life and most of all money, the most important sign of esteem in our society. We need to prove that a certain work is ours to benefit of it.

In a society of esteem we don’t need any copyright anymore. Esteem is given to everybody for whatever kind of work we do. We can feel free to give our talent to the good for all freely and fearlessly because we receive esteem for our work.  A society of esteem acknowledges any innovation, any idea or art work and gives esteem freely to the creators.

There are indeed some first moves in this direction even in our society. The essay “File-Sharing and Copyright” of Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses the need or not-need of copyrights arguing that file-sharing technology has not undermined the incentives of artists and entertainment companies to create, market, and distribute new works.

These are first steps toward a society of esteem being free of copyrights. People will share their knowledge freely.

13August2010

Society of Esteem as ideal life

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

How does ideal life look like?  When we ask ourselves this question we might find a lot of answers leading us eventually to the final answer of being happy and fulfilled.  The ideal life looks like a fulfilled and happy life.  As working persons we can create a fulfilled life when we do what we like and at what we are good.  Work we love fulfills us and makes us grow and develop further.

A society of esteem gives people the opportunity to do the work they love and are good at.  When the “wage” for the work is esteem and not money, and when this esteem is given to everybody in the same amount we have no reason anymore to choose a job we don’t like but through which we make enough money.  A society of esteem is based on esteem and makes its citizen work with great pleasure and success.  This is the first and ultimate step toward an ideal life.

28July2010

Society of Esteem as state of perfection

Posted by Cecilia under: Uncategorized.

I was reading a statement in the Swarmcreativity Blog which could be as well a thought of the society of esteem. It says: “In perfect state there is no need for competition, for beating or killing the competitor anymore. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go. But if we can get rid of aggression, of getting our satisfaction from working together to create new things instead of competing against each other, we have come at least a little bit closer to perfection.”

In a society of esteem there is no need for competition anymore - not for an outer competition anyway - because everybody lives his own talent getting honest esteem for it.  Therefore the only competition people of a society of esteem have is the internal competition, the kind of motor which keeps people moving on in the development of their talent and skills.

Competition is destroying progress instead of supporting it. In a society of esteem real progress happens through people who work in what they love to do and do the best. People who are esteemed for what they are and do, as it happens in a society of esteem, use competition as incentive to get better in their skills and talents. This allows real development and progress for the whole society.

12May2010

Society of Esteem has no borders

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy; Society.

A society which is based on esteem instead of hierarchy of values doesn’t need to have borders. As we see in the Etruscan culture, an ancient form of a society of esteem, the society is organised in federal city states not needing any borders between them. When esteem is the foundation of a society there is no fear of being attacked. On the contrary mutual esteem is given to everybody. Borders holding people apart from each others aren’t necessary any more.

29April2010

Society of Esteem provides “Service-for-all”

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy; Society.

The basic idea of the Society of Esteem is that the citizens provide “Service-for-all” instead of “Service-for-me”.  This simple basic idea serves the whole society as well as the individuals.  It means that people work and live for others, for the common good of the whole society.

Every idea, every work are put forward for the whole society making the “Service-for-all” eventually “Service-for-me” when individuals can receive service from others. We would call this idea a great vision of people living in peace and wealth. For the Society of Esteem it’s one basic idea creating peace and wealth for the whole society.

22April2010

Social justice based on esteem

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

In order to create social justice we probably have to let go the thought that we could be able creating it through money. Real social justice is probably based on esteem which is given to everybody equally such as it would be in the Society of Esteem. I’d like to hear your thoughts about this idea.

9October2009

Alternative money system: Time Banking and Time Exchange

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

A society of esteem gives the same esteem toward each profession.  Esteem isn’t something which can be given in different measures.  In order to function the society needs all kind of professions and therefore acknowledges all of them equally.

In our society we have two financial movements which come quite close to this idea of the society of esteem.

One of them is the Time Banking.  The idea is that for each hour you spend doing something in your community you earn one Time Dollar which goes into the Time Bank.  Your Time Dollars you can be spent on having someone do something for you.

According to the people who live Time Banking it’s a life changing experience.  People feel connected to each other and honestly acknowledged. 

The other movement is similar but excludes the concept of money totally.  Its name is “Zeittausch” (Time exchange) and exists in some communities in Europe (website only in German).

The idea is similar to that of Time Banking except that the value of work is exchanged without counting the hours.  People just do their normal work, whether a baker or a physician, and exchange the fruits of their work mutually without paying for it.

Both systems try to organize a life without money and find that their concept creates a better quality of life . 

The basic thought behind both of these ideas and most of all behind the idea of a society of esteem is that all professions are valued with the same esteem.  A society of esteem even goes one step further.  In the society of esteem, all people participate, not just a select few.  Nobody feels cheated by others because everybody fulfills his talents through his work and gets the same esteem as all the others.  A society like that can easily support people who can’t work or can’t work fully. 

When this state of mind is achieved there is really no longer a need for money.

21September2009

Alternative money system: Living without money

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

Living without money in our society seems to be an impossibility.  But there are in fact some people who live without money. 

As you might imagine, anyone who lives without money in modern society lives a very special life.

Daniel Suelo lives in a cave in the desert near Moab, Utah.  His life is defined by what nature gives to him freely - and what people give to him voluntarily.

His philosophy speaks for others trying to live without money in our society:  “freely give, freely receive.”  He calls it the Gift Economy.  

As long as a society is based on the hierarchy of values people need a standard to measure the value that is money in our society.  Living without money seems to be impossible in a world dominated by technology.

A society of esteem also works without money, but the citizens don’t have to live in caves.  In a society of esteem all citizens are wealthy. 

Living without money and being wealthy at the same time only works when a society is based on mutual esteem instead of a hierarchy of values.  Living without money works when there is no need for measuring values because every single person and every single job gets the same esteem, the same value. 

When the exchange of goods, products and work is based on mutual esteem for all of them there is no longer a need for money.

28August2009

Alternative money system: Transfinancial Economics

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

British philosopher Robert Searle has developed something he calls “Transfinancial Economics” TFE.  Although it’s still in formative stages, the basic idea is an alternative money system based on the principles of a non-debt economy.  Under TFE, the economy would be free of taxation and interest on credit.

The system dispenses with cash, opting instead for electronic transmissions of money throughout the economy.  To realize his idea, taxing authorities would need to be replaced with an “inflation authority” which controls the economy by deciding who can receive system credits, and in what amount.

A society of esteem works without money at all.  When there is no money involved in the economy there is no need for money servicing institutions or authorities.  The economy in a society of esteem is based on esteem which is given to every single citizen.  Money, on the other hand, represents value and supports the hierarchy of values what leads every alternative money system into old patterns of social injustice.

14August2009

Alternative money system: WIR as complementary currency

Posted by Cecilia under: Economy.

WIR is an independent complementary currency system in Switzerland founded in 1934 by Swiss businessmen as a result of currency shortages after the stock market crash of 1929.  It works as a Swiss local currency for business to business transactions based on mutual credit.  WIR money only exists as a bookkeeping system, there are no interest charges on it.

The name WIR is an abbreviation of Wirtschaftsring (Economic Circle) and at the same time the word for “we” in German.  Both meanings remind us that the WIR circle is a community because the WIR money serves only small and medium sized businesses. 

About 600,000 Swiss businesses still accept WIR as money.  It was retained to keep the buying power of the members inside the community.  This also points out the problem with this alternative money system:  Getting payed in WIR money means that people can only spend this money in the strict circle of the member businesses.

A society of esteem wouldn’t create its own system inside the social system.  For a society of esteem it’s important that all working power and all kinds of talents are focused for the good of all.