In the previous, third part of our study we introduced our main thesis defining Open Life Society as the Free Association of Open Lifespan (Citizen) Producers. We started to work out an argument, using only the vocabulary of OH workers and OL citizens leading to the conclusion that in an OL Society that can be characterised as Free Association of Open Lifespan (Citizen) Producers, literally everybody should do OH duties for that OL society to qualify as such.
In other words the defining feature of OL Society is OH technology and work, and in terms of social roles it means OH workers are the one defining this society.
For the basic thought experiment and vocabulary please check Open Lifespan Possible World part of Part 2.
The main bundle of problems I’d like to discuss today is related to whether such an OL society can be described as a class society?
The crucial problem to analyse here is whether OH workers in an OL society can form an actual economic class in the Marxian sense.
The answer is an unambiguous NO, OH workers cannot form a class and hence OL society is not a class society. But we need to leave behind some conceptual sweat before we can reach this conclusion. So let’s start the intellectual exercise.
First, I introduce the concept of class, class division, class society, class oppression, class struggle following mainly G.A. Cohen’s reading of Marx.
Second, I specify the Open Lifespan possible world a bit further to situate the class-question.
Third, I introduce separate arguments to show why OH workers cannot form a proper class in an OL society.
Fourth, I try to describe the role of OH worker further by describing it as a mandatory social role.
Continue reading “OL and the economy of time, part 4: how and why can Open Lifespan society be classless?”