The Economics of a Post-Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free?

If everything is free, what’s still worth striving for? From replicators to reputation, we examine the surprising economics of a post-scarcity world.

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Credits:

The Economics of a Post-Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free?

Episode 730; July 3, 2025

Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images

Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:02 What Post-Scarcity Means Economically

5:10 Incentives Without Scarcity

8:17 Distribution, Duty, and Designed Idleness

14:27 Ownership and Property in a Post-Scarcity Economy

20:03 The Star Trek Economy & the Myth of a Moneyless Society

22:58 Wealth, Inheritance & Intergenerational Power

27:57 Upward Mobility and Inequality

29:02 Economic Failure Modes in Post-Scarcity

30:35 Where Economics Still Matters

33:02 The Infinite Price of a Meaningful Life

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