Commons-Based Needs
Provisional draft of structure conceived by Wolfgang Hoeschele for the compilation of a research wiki.
Available via [email protected]
Discussion
Wolfgang Hoeschele:
"In an abundant world, people’s needs are met in a free, equitable, and sustainable way.
“Free” means that people can define their own needs, subject to the requirement that they do not infringe on the needs of others. We define human needs as ranging from the needs for food, water, and shelter, to needs for security, love, trusting relationships, to the need to live life as art – that is, to discover what one really wants in life, which skills one wants to use in the service of which goals and values, and to live one’s life accordingly, as an individual within a supportive community. No-one can define for you what your life as art is going to be – but neither can you define that for anyone else. Living life as art thus requires freedom. Life as art, however, does not include the “freedom” to exert power over others, to consume resources mindlessly, or to accumulate large amounts of wealth, because this typically interferes with others’ life as art (or their ability to live at all).
“Equitable” means that all people should be able to have their important needs met, including the chance to live life as art. It does not mean that everyone must have the same income or wealth, but it does mean that people should be reasonably rewarded for work that they do, and that the provision of basic means for all people must enjoy priority over providing great wealth for a few. The terms “equitable” as well as “free” also mean that people should have their needs met regardless of divisions such as class, gender, ethnic or national origin, race, caste, religious or ideological belief, and sexual orientation.
“Sustainable” means that the resources needed in order to provide the needs of future generations of living things on Earth are maintained in undiminished quantity and quality."