Quote Originally Posted by Universal Mind View Post
You didn't say your hypothetical was within my hypothetical. With your hypoothetical within mine, the people would not return to school, just like they do not in the actual system. Does anybody who went to a sorry school these days pass and then go back to school just because their education sucks? Pretty much never. They just do what they can with the grades they were given. If they take more classes, it is because they are required.
What do you think people would do if no school was required, but it was all free? What would you do? I know a lot of people who have taken classes for the shear enjoyment of what they are learning, and I am among them. You are also ignoring the fact that job placement would still require actual knowledge. If someone has a job that they don't like and they want one that is more enjoyable, they will go back to school to get the knowledge that would allow them to get that more enjoyable job. I guess you could say that this would then be a 'requirement', but they aren't actually being forced to do it, they just have to if they want to enjoy their time more.

Quote Originally Posted by Universal Mind View Post
I said that there is no reliable incentive for hard work. If you think there is one, tell me about it. Effort is always the result of incentive. Without incentive, the system is extremely weak.
Similar to my questions regarding schooling, what would you do if no one had to work at all? Would you sit around watching tv or would you try to use your time productively? Believe it or not, there are many people who have jobs that they enjoy doing, and that they would still enjoy doing even if money was completely unnecessary. For instance, I really enjoy making masks and I do it for the enjoyment of it. Because we live in a capitalist society, I plan on exploiting my efforts for monetary gain, but I would continue to do it still if money became obsolete. There are people who enjoy designing and constructing buildings, gardening, researching, and any other necessary societal function you might be able to imagine. Once production type jobs are made obsolete through automation, there won't really be a need for anyone to commit themselves to labor that they do not enjoy.

Even if all unenjoyable jobs can't be eliminated, in a society that pays everyone equally, the incentive to do your job up to expectations will simply be having the opportunity to do the job at all. If someone is slacking then they are replaced by someone who will do it right, and they won't get paid at all. The incentive to progress and get better will be the opportunity to do a more enjoyable job.

I think at least one major point that we aren't seeing eye to eye on is how this system might be applied. I would never argue that we should take our current system but remove the possibility for capital gain from it because that is the very foundation of the system. I agree that a new system would need to be built around the idea of equal distribution of wealth, I am only arguing that such a system is not an impossibility.