Who is the author of Inventing the Future?

The authors of Inventing the Future are Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams.

Society & Culture

Inventing the Future Book Summary - Inventing the Future Book explained in key points

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Inventing the Future summary

Name: Inventing the Future
Rating: 4 (53 reviews)
Author: Nick Srnicek, Alex Williams

Nick Srnicek Alex Williams

Postcapitalism and a World Without Work

4 (53 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

'Inventing the Future' by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams is a manifesto for a new vision of the left, moving beyond current forms of resistance towards a society based on abundance and sustainability, made possible by the advances of automation and technology.

Topics

Capitalism & The Free Market

Table of Contents

Inventing the Future
Summary of 6 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Look at the current limits and future prospects of the political left.

Have you ever participated in a demonstration or a protest rally? Or maybe you’ve bought ethically produced clothes? You may have felt good afterward – but how much lasting change did your actions bring about?

Probably very little. This is the underlying problem with modern-day participatory left-wing politics. While such actions may offer the feeling that you are doing something at the moment, the long-term effects are harder to judge.

In a world where capitalism and neoliberalism are the ruling ideologies of the day, any will to change must imply something more than buying the “right” banana or coffee. So let’s look at how we got to where we are and how to move forward.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

why complex systems like the economy show the limits of folk politics;
how a fringe group of academics and intellectuals would come to dominate mainstream politics; and
why the automating work will be a blessing for workers around the world.

The majority of current leftist politics is limited in both scope and impact.

What do street protests, shopping at local stores and teach-ins all have in common?

Well, every one of these standard leftist political actions is an example of folk politics, a term that refers to ideas and attitudes that emphasize local, direct-action and small-scale approaches to politics.

Good examples of folk politics are movements like Occupy Wall Street, ethical consumption or any of the many student occupations throughout history. While each of these examples might have received its moment in the media spotlight and a burst of temporary momentum, they often fail to make structural change in the long run. These tactics are no longer sufficient in the contemporary political climate and, if applied now, would fail to produce structural change.

How come?

Because at its core, folk-politics is about everyday manifestations and not structural problems. For instance, it promotes personal action like sign-making and the occasional protest over systematic thinking like making changes to legal structures or running candidates for office. In other words, it puts feelings – like anger, frustration and outrage – above critical thinking and strategy.

But the issue here isn’t that folk politics is morally bad or incorrect. Rather, the problem is that it has no sustainable long-term strategy or vision. Instead of guiding the course of history, folk politics simply reacts to the actions initiated by corporations and governments.

Not only that, but by bringing people together around single issues, it loses sight of the bigger picture. A classic example is the organization Live Aid. In 1985, this group raised loads of money to provide famine relief in Ethiopia. To do so, they hosted tear-jerking, celebrity-led events.

The problem was that their approach solely appealed to people’s emotions, rather than their rational minds. Beyond that, a lot of the money raised ended up in the hands of rebel militias, thereby extending the civil war and worsening the famine.

Folk politics falsely simplifies the complex modern world.

So, folk politics’ reliance on local, individual actions and personal emotions severely limit its efficacy, but another problem is its focus on immediate, self-gratifying goals at the expense of lasting, long-term change. For instance, folk politics might celebrate a corporation delaying the construction of an oil pipeline, failing to recognize that the company is just waiting until people look away so that it can move forward with the project.

In this case, the issue isn’t that folk politics is local, but that it sees local actions as sufficient in and of themselves, rather than as necessary elements within a longer-term vision.

Neoliberalism has grown from a fringe theory into the dominant socioeconomic approach of our age.

To better understand the limits of folk politics – and the contemporary left in general – just think about what the other side has been able to accomplish. While folk politics is failing to make lasting change, the political opposition has been able to transform society through neoliberalism.

This political ideology can be summed up by a steadfast belief in unimposed, free-market capitalism. However, since classic liberalism is about free markets and opposing government regulation, neoliberalism ironically relies heavily on state influence to defend property rights, impose antitrust laws and generally sustain the neoliberal world order.

The left can learn from the neoliberal turn.

While we can complain about neoliberalism being the dominant political and cultural idea of our time, it’s impossible to dispute how effectively it carried out its aims. In fact, the hegemonic position neoliberalism achieved is the result of a carefully considered, long-term, top-down strategy.

This strategy had neoliberals put together policy arguments that were then systematically pushed through think tanks, like the Heritage Foundation and the Hoover Institute, as well as universities. These institutions then trained the global elite, further spreading neoliberalism and cementing its ideological influence across the globe.

Automation and unemployment are increasingly likely.

Now that we know what type of approach is called for on the left, what should we be fighting for? Well, to answer that question, we first need to begin with an examination of the current state of labor.

This is a key factor, since full automation and unemployment grow more likely by the day, even as people work more than ever. Take industry as an example: while the industrial sector employed just 1,000 robots in 1970, today it relies on over 1.6 million.

Universal basic income is the key to creating a world after capitalism.

How can we deal with the impending reality of full automation?

By embracing it! After all, the loss of jobs prompted by automation will lead to the need for universal basic income or UBI, the idea of giving every citizen enough money to live on.

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What is Inventing the Future about?

Inventing the Future (2015) is a radical manifesto for the political left. These blinks describe why the current political tactics of the left are failing, explain how neoliberalism has become today’s dominant global ideology and propose a future based on full automation and a universal basic income.

Inventing the Future Review

Inventing the Future (2015) presents a thought-provoking exploration of how we can shape a better world by challenging the status quo. Here's why this book is worth reading:

The authors offer bold and innovative ideas that challenge conventional thinking, providing a fresh perspective on the future of work, technology, and politics.
By examining the flaws in today's society, the book provides a roadmap for change and proposes concrete actions to create a more equitable and sustainable future.
With its engaging and accessible style, the book tackles complex topics with clarity, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in shaping a better future.

Best quote from Inventing the Future

Neoliberalism is the form of our existence – the way in which we are led to conduct ourselves, relate to others and to ourselves. - Pierre Dardot, philosopher, and Christian Laval, sociologist

—Nick Srnicek, Alex Williams

Who should read Inventing the Future?

Political activists and thinkers
Students of political science and sociology
People tired of working nonstop, who want to be part of a different world

About the Author

Nick Srnicek is a lecturer at the City University of London. He is also the author of Platform Capitalism.

Alex Williams is a lecturer of sociology at the City University of London.

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Society & Culture Technology & the Future

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