The image above was made with stable diffusion using the prompt 'a thriving fruit stand.'
A common criticism of our economy is that it's designed to maximize financial profits rather than to maximize the meeting of human needs. Yet the idea of realigning our economy around our needs rarely makes it into public discourse. This omission isn't accidental. Such a realignment would represent a radical transformation of our total system and the control regime has other plans for us.
Even so, the prospect of an economy built around real needs is worth taking seriously. It would make life better for almost everyone and be far more sustainable than the current system, which is based on the impossible assumption of perpetual growth. As consumers, most of what we need has been stolen from us to coerce us into surrendering the value produced by our lives in exchange for money that can then be traded for the temporary satisfaction of some needs. Even if this system worked perfectly, it couldn't possibly meet all of our needs, because some of these can't be quantified. We are, after all, multidimensional beings.
The first question that arises when exploring how to create a new economy around our needs is the question of what those needs actually are. While some favor Maslow's hierarchy, Chilean economist Manfred Max Neef created a much more useful taxonomy for understanding our fundamental human needs. It uses 9 axiological categories (subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, idleness, creation, identity, freedom) and 4 existential categories (being, having, doing, interacting).
Each need can be met with one or more satisfiers. A single satisfier can also meet multiple needs. The needs for subsistence and protection are both primary and generally must be satisfied before other needs can be addressed. Here's how it all breaks down. Note that the need for money is nowhere in this list.
Being: physical health, mental health, equilibrium, adaptability
Having: food, shelter, work
Doing: feed, procreate, rest, work
Interacting: living environment, social setting
Being: care, adaptability, autonomy, equilibrium, solidarity
Having: insurance systems, savings, social security, health systems, rights, family, work
Doing: cooperate, prevent, plan, take care of, cure, help
Interacting: living space, social environment, dwelling
Being: self-esteem, solidarity, respect, tolerance, generosity, receptiveness, passion, determination, sensuality
Having: friendships, family, partnerships, pets, relationships with nature
Doing: make love, caress, express emotions, share, take care of, cultivate, appreciate
Interacting: privacy, intimacy, home, space of togetherness
Being: critical conscience, receptiveness, curiosity, astonishment, discipline, intuition, rationality
Having: literature, teachers, method, educational policies, communication policies
Doing: investigate, study, experiment, educate, analyze, meditate
Interacting: settings of formative interaction, schools, universities, academies, groups, communities, family
Being: adaptability, receptiveness, solidarity, willingness, determination, dedication, respect, passion
Having: rights, responsibilities, duties, privileges, work
Doing: become affiliated, cooperate, propose, share, dissent, obey, interact, agree on, express opinions
Interacting: settings of participative interaction, parties, associations, churches, communities, neighborhoods, family
Being: curiosity, receptiveness, imagination, recklessness, sense of humour, tranquility, sensuality
Having: games, spectacles, clubs, parties, peace of mind
Doing: daydream, brood, dream, recall old times, give way to fantasies, remember, relax, have fun, play
Interacting: privacy, intimacy, spaces of closeness, free time, surroundings, landscapes
Being: passion, determination, intuition, imagination, boldness, rationality, autonomy, inventiveness, curiosity
Having: abilities, skills, method, work
Doing: work, invent, build, design, compose, interpret
Interacting: productive and feedback settings, workshops, cultural groups, audiences, spaces for expression, temporal freedom
Being: sense of belonging, consistency, differentiation, self-esteem, assertiveness
Having: symbols, language, religion, habits, customs, reference groups, sexuality, values, norms, historical memory, work
Doing: commit oneself, integrate oneself, confront, decide on, get to know oneself, recognize oneself, actualize oneself, grow
Interacting: social rhythms, everyday settings, settings which one belongs to, maturation stages
Being: autonomy, self-esteem, determination, passion, assertiveness, open-mindedness, boldness, rebelliousness, tolerance
Having: equal rights
Doing: dissent, choose, be different from, run risks, develop awareness, commit oneself, disobey
Interacting: temporal/spatial plasticity
Assessing needs and determining what satisfiers meet those needs is a largely subjective process. No system based on this framework can decide what meets a person's need, as this can only be judged by the person themselves. Even so, a great system could be based on this framework. A whole economy could be built on it.
The state could be responsible for guaranteeing subsistence and protection, while private interests could meet the other needs. Some of these private interests would be for-profit enterprises, but many would be groups operating for reasons other than profit. Generating needs assessments would have to be done in the right way. I'm thinking something less bureaucratic and more gamified could work.
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