Inequality in abundance

Abstract

With technological advance has come the possibility of a new era of abundance. Technologies like 3D printing and robotics promise to lower the costs of production and distribution of goods and services, presumably making these goods and services readily available to those across income and wealth spectrums. This undoubtedly is a good thing. But what will be the effect of these technologies on existing wealth inequalities and the psychological and societal burdens they impose? Can we expect that this newfound abundance will help remedy the current historic levels of inequality in the U.S. and other western countries? Unfortunately, the answer is likely no, for two reasons. First, history suggests that inequality often persists even under conditions of abundance due to dynamics of power and politics and ongoing impacts of structural inequalities. Having more than enough of a particular good or service to go around does not guarantee that all will have access to this good or service. Second, even if the new abundance enabled by technology extends into all levels of the socioeconomic spectrum, enabling individuals to access goods and services (and their attendant benefits) previously beyond their reach, the harms that attend unequal societies will persist. Increasing evidence suggests that these harms, including increased violence and decreased health, arise not from access (or a lack thereof) to particular goods and services, but from the adverse psychological consequences of living in an unequal society. This is a psychological burden shared not just by those at the losing end of the inequality equation, but also those who enjoy a relative advantage in society. Unequal societies are psychologically harmful to all who live in them, regardless of where these individuals fall on the socioeconomic spectrum, and largely independent of the particular goods and services they enjoy. The upshot is that society cannot rely on new abundance technologies to automatically solve problems of inequality and the social and psychological burdens that plague those who live in unequal societies. Indeed, depending on how society responds to questions of access to these technologies, their introduction might exacerbate various forms of inequality. In light of this, it is crucial to address conditions of inequality head-on, so that the new era of abundance promised by technological advance can lead to real gains in individual and societal wellbeing.