I'm intrigued as to how a society could be considered successful (or sustainable) with rising unemployment.
Let's see. My axioms (and bear in mind these are written in half an hour) are:
1) People cannot ever be equal.
2) Things are not of equal value.
3) People need and want things.
4) It is not possible for everyone to have everything they want.
5) People want to own things.
6) It would be simpler if people did not want to own things ;)
7) People are fickle.
8) Given 5 and 7, trade will naturally arise.
9) Barter is impractical at scale
10) Barter is impractical across nonlocal distances.
11) Given 8, 9 and 10, money will naturally arise as a token for items.
12) People do not have a constant natural supply of valuable items.
13) People do have a constant natural supply of time and energy, at least for as long as it matters.
14) To gain money, people can sell their items
15) To gain money, people can sell their time and energy
16) Given 12, 13, and 15, jobs will naturally arise as a way to gain money.
At this point I start asking questions that are beyond my knowledge of economics.
a) How does money stop having a hard relationship with the items it originally represented (aka the "Why can't I get five pounds of gold for my fiver any more" question)?
b) How is the value of money set?
c) If money is subject to (a), then doesn't trade in money critically undermine the value of money?
But those notwithstanding, how do you rate my reasoning as to why jobs are essential to society?
edit: perhaps I've only demonstrated that jobs are one way to gain wealth. That's what I'm asking really. Assuming I've not made some huge error with my axioms, what is your number (17) that allows people to acquire money without selling items or their time and energy?