Prospenomics: Redefining Prosperity and Work in a Post-Scarcity Era

Prospenomics is the study of prosperous, harmonious, and equitable societies, often depicted in fiction. These societies imagined in fiction can represent ideal or aspirational models of social, economic, and environmental organization, where resources are used sustainably and equitably, and where there is a positive interconnection between humans and the environment. Prospenomics may involve analyzing these fictional models to extract insights and inspiration for building a real society that is fairer and more prosperous.

On the other hand, the concept of Post-Scarcity refers to a future stage where the scarcity of material resources is no longer a predominant concern. In this stage, advanced technology, production efficiency, and sustainable resource use would allow for an abundance of goods and services for all, without compromising the environment or depleting natural resources. Post-scarcity implies a fundamental shift in how society organizes and utilizes its resources, seeking to achieve a sustainable balance between human needs and planetary preservation.

Prospenomics, also known as Prospenomia, is the study of prosperity and its generators, aiming to pave a path towards Post-Scarcity. Through an economic and social approach that transcends the conventional paradigms of known economic theory, which often associates relatively low abundance with hard and inefficient work and fails to distribute well-being among individuals, paying little attention to the depletion of resources on the planet.

The field of Prospenomics arises from the urgent need to rethink current economic and social models. To achieve this, we must study all known forms of prosperity, from intelligent decisions made in ancient times to the fiction of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, envisioning a future where prosperity is abundant, where we no longer use monetary fractions for the exchange of goods and services, and people work to satisfy their talents and ambitions for personal upliftment; or also the ideas of Buckminster Fuller, in which prosperity was not limited solely to the accumulation of material wealth or economic growth but rather ensuring well-being and sustainability for all forms of life on the planet.

Considering the 4.5 billion years of evolution and extinctions that have shaped our planet, the delicate balances of biological relationships that have brought us to today, Prospenomics recognizes the complexity of interactions between living beings and the environment, as well as the central role of human beings in this context, as intellectual protagonists of the planet. Therefore, we must make use of our cerebral cortex, the most evolved tool that nature has ever created, as well as future forms of Artificial Intelligence to better explore the resources "seemingly" scarce, to the point of recognizing that they are extremely more abundant than conceived.

Throughout history, humanity has emerged as a species capable of profoundly transforming the environment and influencing the fate of other life forms. This unique ability confers significant responsibility on human beings in preserving and balancing the global ecosystem.

Prospenomics starts from the assumption that the current environmental and social crisis is the result of an economic model based on profit maximization and rampant consumption, which ignores the planet's limits and generates extreme inequality. In this sense, the study seeks to identify and promote alternative economic principles that can lead to a more sustainable and prosperous society.

In 1986, I had an unusual class, "Brazilian Problem Studies", that my mentor, Antonio Sérgio Pacheco Mercier, taught. Even though they were on Saturdays, I loved attending his classes. Professor Mercier had the gift of captivating students with his engaging narratives, especially when discussing subjects like international trade.

His classes were rich; he talked about a convention in Luang Prapang, which inspired my friend Gilberto Lacerda to adopt a new dream tourist destination, or the international maritime law agreement signed in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1982 - he took us on a journey to these incredible locations.

The professor showed us the importance of these events, as well as the pleasures of practicing a profession that best suits one's spirit, reconciling the joy of travel with improving human relations on the planet.

However, it was during a conversation about possible topics for my thesis that Professor Mercier truly inspired me.

I shared with him my supposedly "revolutionary" idea of applying science fiction concepts to economics and public administration, an approach I called #prospenomics.

I believed (and still believe) that just as the science fiction of Jules Verne inspired Santos-Dumont in multiple inventions, we could also use Gene Roddenberry's post-scarcity society from Star Trek as inspiration for new approaches in economics and public administration.

The globe with Africa on the right - the origin of humanity, goes counterclockwise to North America with more distant parallel lines and finally South America, in white. The idea is that, in a counter-clockwise spiral that begins in Africa, the further we move away from our origins, the more we lose self-knowledge and the globe becomes increasingly devoid of its original and natural lines. The drawing conveys the idea that, if a Cartesian analysis of the planet were carried out, we would understand it better and return to a greater balance, similar to that of the first hominids - Osasco 1986

At first, Professor Mercier was interested in the argument, but after listening carefully to my explanations, he said that my ideas were "still in their infancy" and that there was "little applicability to reality." :( However, he encouraged me to study more about the subject and to explore these ideas further.

Even though I felt a little frustrated for being so far from a viable argument, with his careful guidance and constructive criticism, I embarked on a journey of research and reflection that broadened my academic and professional horizons, achieving feats that I had never dreamed of achieving.

The End of Working for a Living and the Beginning of Working for Your Talents

As we move towards a future where traditional notions of scarcity and work are being questioned, there is a need to explore new approaches to societal and economic organization. In this context, digital tools like LinkedIn, for instance, have played a significant role in facilitating connections between people and job opportunities, aiming to enable individuals to work based on their talents and passions, rather than just to sustain their basic needs.

The underlying idea behind the use of LinkedIn and other similar tools is that by creating opportunities for people to work based on their talents and interests, rather than just to earn a living, it is possible to promote a more creative, productive, and fulfilling society for all its members. This approach, known as "working for talent," aims to maximize the potential of each individual, encouraging creative expression, innovation, and personal and professional growth.

How Prospenomics Differs from Simple Economics

If an economy traditionally focuses on the exchange of wealth among humans, it differs exponentially from prospenomics, which focuses on the relationships between prosperity and the ecological balance of the planet as a whole. While the economy traditionally focuses on monetary aspects and the distribution of resources among humans, prospenomics broadens this perspective to consider global prosperity, in which the life of any living being, no matter how insignificant it may seem to humans, if negatively affected, will adversely affect the well-being of all life forms and the sustainability of the planet. "While Economics operates in a monophonic mode, focusing on the exchange of wealth within human relationships, Prospenomics operates in a stereophonic mode, considering the broader scope of prosperity and ecological balance across the planet.