with grand ideas and very mixed results so far.
Controversial at best, but has some interesting ideas.
1. The Zero Marginal Cost Society: A Paradigm Shift
The capitalist era is ending as technology drives the cost of producing goods and services to near zero. A new economic model, the "Collaborative Commons," is emerging, based on sharing and peer-to-peer collaboration, which will fundamentally alter social and economic life.
2. The Internet of Things: Connecting Everything
The Internet of Things (IoT) is creating an integrated global network by connecting all aspects of economic and social life. This network will constantly generate and share massive amounts of data ("Big Data") in real-time, enabling data-driven decision-making across all of society.
3. The Decline of Capitalism and the Rise of the Collaborative Commons
Capitalism, which is based on commodifying property for exchange, is becoming obsolete in an era of near-zero marginal costs. The Collaborative Commons presents an alternative that prioritizes open access, sharing, and cooperation over exclusive ownership and competition.
4. The Democratization of Manufacturing: 3D Printing Revolution
The 3D printing revolution fundamentally changes manufacturing by making it decentralized, customizable, and on-demand. This technology democratizes production, allowing for local manufacturing and challenging the need for large-scale factories and complex global supply chains.
5. Education Disrupted: MOOCs and the Future of Learning
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are applying the zero marginal cost principle to education by providing free or low-cost access to world-class learning. This revolutionizes access to knowledge and challenges the business models of traditional universities.
6. The Last Worker Standing: Automation and the End of Work
The same technologies driving zero marginal cost—AI, robotics, and automation—are also replacing human labor across all sectors. This trend of technological unemployment raises fundamental questions about the future of work, income, and human purpose in an automated society.
7. The Ascent of the Prosumer in the Smart Economy
In the new economy, the line between consumer and producer blurs with the rise of the "prosumer." Individuals can now produce their own energy, manufacture their own goods (via 3D printing), and create their own media, shifting power away from traditional corporations.
8. The Struggle for Control of the Intelligent Infrastructure
A major struggle is emerging over the governance of the Internet of Things. The central conflict is between corporations and governments seeking centralized, proprietary control, and advocates of the Collaborative Commons who champion an open, decentralized, and accessible infrastructure.
9. The Energy Internet: Transforming Power Generation and Distribution
The Energy Internet envisions a decentralized power grid where millions of prosumers generate their own renewable energy and share the surplus across a smart grid. This model aims to transform the energy sector in the same way the internet transformed information.
10. The Logistics Internet: Reinventing Transportation and Supply Chains
The Logistics Internet applies IoT principles to transportation and supply chains to create a highly efficient, intelligent network. By using real-time data, predictive analytics, and automation, it aims to optimize the movement of goods, reduce waste, and reinvent global and local distribution.
Jeremy Rifkin Books
The End of Work (1995)
This book argues that we are entering a new phase in history characterized by the steady and inevitable decline of employment. Rifkin contends that information technology, automation, and globalization are systematically replacing human labor across all sectors, from manufacturing to the professions, which will force society to radically rethink the role of work and how to distribute the gains of a nearly automated economy.
The Age of Access (2000)
Rifkin describes a fundamental shift in the modern economy, moving from the industrial-age model of ownership and private property to a new paradigm where access to services and experiences is more important than possessing goods. He posits that in this new era, companies will increasingly lease or rent their products as a service, and human relationships themselves will become commercialized as people pay for access to networks and lifestyles.
The Hydrogen Economy (2002)
This book outlines a vision for a new energy regime based on hydrogen, which Rifkin argues will be the next great economic and social revolution. He details how hydrogen can be produced from renewable resources, stored, and distributed through a decentralized "energy web," effectively democratizing power and creating a more sustainable and equitable society that can overcome the geopolitical conflicts and environmental damage caused by dependence on fossil fuels.
The European Dream (2004)
Rifkin contrasts the American Dream, with its emphasis on individual wealth and autonomy, with what he calls the emerging "European Dream," which prioritizes community, quality of life, and sustainable development. He argues that Europe's focus on collective responsibility, cultural diversity, and human rights is creating a new, more humane and adaptable model for the 21st century that may prove more successful than its American counterpart.
The Empathic Civilization (2009)
In this work, Rifkin presents a sweeping reinterpretation of human history, arguing that our evolution is not defined by aggression and materialism but by the development of empathy. He traces the expansion of empathic consciousness—from tribal bonds to religious identities and national allegiances—and suggests that the next crucial step, driven by global crises, is for humanity to develop a "biosphere consciousness" and global empathic connection to ensure our survival.
The Third Industrial Revolution (2011)
Rifkin outlines a plan to address the triple threat of global economic crisis, energy insecurity, and climate change. He describes a "Third Industrial Revolution" that occurs when new communication technologies converge with new energy regimes. Specifically, he argues for a future built on five pillars: a shift to renewable energy, converting buildings into micro-power plants, deploying hydrogen for energy storage, creating a smart energy-sharing grid, and transitioning transport to electric and fuel-cell vehicles.
The Zero Marginal Cost Society (2014)
This book explores the economic impact of the "Internet of Things," arguing that it is giving rise to a new economic system that is pushing the marginal cost of producing many goods and services to near zero. Rifkin predicts that this will lead to the decline of traditional capitalism and the rise of a "Collaborative Commons," where people produce and share information, energy, and goods in a global network, fundamentally changing our economic and social structures.
The Green New Deal (2019)
Rifkin provides a detailed economic and social blueprint for the transition to a post-carbon society. He argues that the fossil fuel industry is a "bubble" on the verge of collapse and that a Green New Deal is the only practical way to modernize our infrastructure, create millions of jobs, and avert climate catastrophe. The book serves as a pragmatic guide for how to rapidly decarbonize the economy in the span of a few decades.
The Age of Resilience (2022)
In this book, Rifkin argues that the modern era's obsession with efficiency and control has created a fragile, brittle global system that is ill-equipped to handle climate change and other emerging crises. He proposes a shift in our worldview from "efficiency" to "resilience," advocating for a new narrative where humanity adapts to the Earth's natural rhythms by creating decentralized, distributed, and adaptive economic and social systems that can thrive within a complex, self-organizing planet.
