>People left without a job/role in society often don't matter even to themselves -- low self esteem, turning to drugs, alcohol, etc.

I see this argument all the time here, but no one accounts for the fact that we live in a society in which people's worth is largely determined by their ability to secure financial stability. Who's to say that people without jobs, allowed to live without societal derision in a (best case) post work future would be inevitably reduced in spirit?