In this book, Michael J. Sandel examines the increasing role of markets in various aspects of life, arguing that this trend has led to the commodification of essential goods and services, thereby corrupting moral norms. Sandel questions whether everything should be for sale and discusses the moral limits of markets, suggesting that certain spheres of life should be protected from market forces. He argues that the proliferation of market values has transformed us from having a market economy to being a market society, with significant moral and social consequences.
If there’s one thing urban Indians love to do, it is delegate. Today there’s all manner of apps for anything even vaguely resembling a chore. Need someone to deep clean your house? Or a stand-in for the driver that called in sick? Well, there’s an app for it.
The Ken’s deputy editor Seetharaman G recently pointed out how all of this is possible only because of an ever-growing army of gig workers constantly whizzing around cities and towns across India for wages that are abysmally low.
In many ways it is a never ending loop. As stable jobs continue to vanish, millions of young Indians are turning to odd jobs instead. They are fuelling a booming gig economy, where startups – both big and small – are turning even the smallest chores into business opportunities.
Naturally, venture capitalists can’t get enough. They have been pouring tens or billions of dollars into gig driven startups. They are directly and indirectly betting big on this endless supply of underpaid workers to keep these business models afloat.
The stats are pretty alarming. Today, 13 per cent of all tech funding is fueling this vast eco system of odd jobs on demand. It all paints a pretty dismal picture. Because it’s starting to seem like the future work is taking care of everything you don’t want to do.
Tune in.
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