The Redundancy of Profit
A Short Essay on the Restructure of Industry
Contents:
Introduction: The Flaws of Capitalism
The Contribution Index: A New Economic Paradigm
Masterminding Economics: The Redefinition of Value
Industry Ownership: A Necessary Restructure
Eliminating Profit: Implications for Businesses and Society
The Key: Aligning Benefit of Self with Benefit of Society
An Open-Source Society
Conclusion: The Fight for a New World
Introduction: The Flaws of Capitalism
Profit is the head of the capitalist snake, the poison that leeches into the very heart of industry. More than just a method of trade, profit is a corruptive mindset that fosters selfishness, disunity, and the exploitation of both people and resources.
In a system where success is defined by the relentless pursuit of profit, the common good becomes secondary, and it's only inevitable for any great society to be hopelessly fractured by inequality and environmental degradation—driven groundward by the intergenerational results of elbowing our way into a monopoly.
The Ten-Tier System challenges this paradigm, redefining value not by the accumulation of wealth but by the collective wellbeing of society. Here, success is measured by what a business gives back to the world, fostering cooperation over competition and unity over division.
This essay is a quick insight into one of the many components of Industry restructure proposed by the Ten-Tier System. Business, trade, production, development, and the operational maintenance of society are key to the overall function of humanity, and our dependence on capitalist profit to uphold these operations stands in the way of collective evolution and true cooperation. This alternative to profit philosophy is an anti-exploitation, anti-corruption, anti-monopolisation feature for a new economy. It’s only one small piece of the puzzle, but it is no doubt an important one.
The challenge of transitioning out of profit-driven capitalism is no cake walk, but it is rewarded with a better, more sustainable world. Corruption, environmental exploitation, and crushing inequality are bad for you and me, but for those who are making use of these capitalist features see them as valid means to enrich their own existence. The trick, then, should be in architecting a socio-economic model where exploitation reaps no financial rewards; where clever strategies for self-gain result in the benefit for greater society. We must remove the rotten carrot that is reached for.
Every business that exists today is bound to a money-making role. Those are the rules, and therefore that is the philosophy and accompanying mindset. Profit is the lifeblood of business, and it seems so irreplaceable. Yet those who are cleverest in attaining profit are criticised, considered selfish and exploitative. Perhaps they are, but it is the game that we all play. The result is monopoly, endless expansion, and the intent to dominate. This is the collective cost, although only some of us really appreciate the vastness of devastation of the forests, oceans, air, and most importantly, the human psyche.
Profit does not just exist as physical exploitation of resources and labour; it warps the human mind. It is the muck in which advertising has grown, the filth that fuels psychological manipulation. It is the corrosive underbelly of a sick society.
So what do we do? What can we do? Do we switch profit out for something else?
The answer isn’t entirely simple or easy, although it will be intuitive to use when implemented. Let’s take a look.
The Contribution Index: A New Economic Paradigm
So what would a society look like without profit? How could it possibly function?
Without weighing us down with an extensive explanation that details the entire proposal for a re-write of economics, trade, and industry, the essence is this:
We add an extra stage of calculation between trade and remuneration. People and businesses would continue to reap financial benefits from providing labour, goods, and services—but not from direct payment.
The Contribution Index represents a radical shift in how individual and business value is quantified within the Ten-Tier System, moving beyond the traditional model of direct profit from trade. Instead of a straightforward, single-stage transaction where goods or services are exchanged for money, the Contribution Index represents the assignment of numerical values based on the impact and benefit that an individual or business provides to society. This value exists independently of direct financial gain, fostering an economy where success is measured by societal contributions rather than personal wealth accumulation.
This reorganisation means that value and cost are accounted for in a trade without a transaction directly and proportionally raising one's spending power. With a simultaneous restructure of industry ownership to collective directorship (a concept explored in greater depth in another conversation), there is no ability for one business to buy out another, meaning no dangerous snowballing towards global monopoly (the capitalist ‘big fish eats small fish’ principle). Eliminating the possibility of monopolistic expansions and market domination, prices can be kept affordable and stable without inflation or collusion, and abundance and surplus can be generated much more easily through greater societal efficiency and prevention of exploitation.
Masterminding Economics: The Redefinition of Value
In the envisioned society where profit becomes a redundant concept, the traditional metrics of economic success, driven by competition and monetary gain, are fundamentally restructured. This paradigm shift represents a radical departure from contemporary capitalist frameworks, proposing a system where industry is built on cooperation rather than competition. In such a society, the value of a business’s success is no longer measured by its ability to generate profit but by its contribution to the wellbeing as well as the upkeep of society. This includes the quality of its products and services, utility for customers, and the positive impact it has on the environment and community.
As explained in further depth in the Contribution Index post, this proposed concept changes the traditional remuneration system by assigning value based on a number of agreed factors and principles—based largely on traditional economic factors, yet with the addition of human-controlled variables to the overall equation that help to manually and democratically govern prices. In most economic circumstances, value is largely based on perception and demand, and while we cannot and should not ignore costs of materials, production, packaging, transport, and labour, we still retain a great degree of control over how this is quantified in the form of currency.
Industry Ownership: A Necessary Restructure
The Ten-Tier System proposes a restructure of industry ownership, proofing against monopolisation and its subsequent economic abuse. In this cooperative society, the ownership of businesses would not reside with individuals or shareholders seeking to maximise their financial returns. Instead, businesses are collective entities where the concept of ownership is replaced by stewardship.
Depending on the individual business, it’s likely that many would still operate under a hierarchical management structure for effective delegation of roles and responsibilities. However, this doesn’t mean that the person at the top of the structure has unlimited or unquestionable power and authority. Without ‘ownership’, different levels of management would still mean there would be different degrees of influence and authority to ensure there is functional directorship of an organisation, although a fully democratic and open-source society would mean that the majority of shareholder employees would collectively retain more decision-making power than a CEO. While the CEO and upper management of a large company would still be the chief directors of everyday business, the majority would be able to override any decision if they felt compelled to.
Every employee under this model would be a kind of steward and ‘shareholder’ of the business, contributing to its success—and benefitting from it—in a way that transcends standard financial compensation. Everyone in the business would be invested in its success, although the very notion of ‘success’ would be redefined in conjunction with the replacement of profit.
Here, the notion of profit as a primary driver of business decisions becomes obsolete; what matters is the holistic value that the business provides to society. This value could be measured by how useful the business is considered, or how it meets customer requirements.
For example, a business that produces food would be evaluated not by the profit margin on its products, but by the nutritional value, accessibility, and environmental impact of its offerings. A company in the healthcare sector may be measured by the effectiveness and accessibility of its treatments, the wellbeing of its patients, and its contribution to public health, rather than by the profitability of its services.
Extending beyond financial balance sheets, metrics of a successful operation would be partly defined by customer satisfaction and alignment with dictated ethics and responsibilities, such as social and environmental goals. While the business’s conceptual structure and unique personality could originate from the inspiration of an individual, no business would be owned by any one individual or group. Rather, all of society would collectively become shareholders, with a sharp increase in percentage (weighted voting applied to commercial management) for those who have a close tie to the operation, such as being an employee, director, regular customer, or perhaps in some cases, living within the same vicinity.
In this system, employees are rewarded not with traditional salaries but with quantified 'points' within the Contribution Index that reflect their contributions to the business's success. These points account for various factors, and could derive from such metrics and variables as the employee's role, the quality of their work, their collaboration with others, and the overall impact of their contributions. These points contribute to an individual’s overall Contribution Score, which determines their multifaceted income.
Eliminating Profit: Implications for Businesses and Society
By eliminating the pursuit of profit as the central goal, this cooperative society addresses many of the inherent issues in capitalist systems, such as corruption, exploitation, environmental degradation, and the exponentialisation of inequality.
Businesses are incentivised to operate in ways that are socially and environmentally responsible because their success depends on their ability to contribute to the common good, rather than to maximise financial returns for a select few. This system promotes a more equitable distribution of resources, as businesses are not driven by the need to generate excess profit but by the goal of meeting the needs of society in the most effective and sustainable way.
In a system where business success is measured by contributions to societal wellbeing rather than profit, safeguards against corruption are inherently stronger. Under this kind of socially monitored structure, the metrics of responsibility and adherence to ethics become publicly accessible. Transparency and accountability become foundational, as all actions and decisions within a business are scrutinised for their impact on the collective good rather than personal gain.
The absence of private ownership and the distribution of 'points' based on contribution create a structure where no single individual has unchecked power or the ability to manipulate outcomes for personal benefit, yet the structure still maintains proportional and worthwhile rewards for meaningful contribution.
The Key: Aligning Benefit of Self with Benefit of Society
Collaborative decision-making and the shared responsibility for business success further reduce the opportunities for corrupt practices to take root. Since rewards are tied to the overall wellbeing of the community, there is a powerful incentive for all participants to act in the best interest of society, making corruption not only difficult to achieve but also exposed to social criticism. The best and only way to self-benefit in this model is to contribute simultaneously for the greater good, making even selfishness a gift unto society and protecting almost entirely against exploitative practices.
This is an integral function of this system—an alignment between benefit of self and benefit of society—and is a core design of the Ten-Tier System.
It is achieved through the formal redefining of value, meaning that value for self cannot arise from exploitation; only by creating or delivering value to others. And even where there is a technical possibility for dishonesty or fraud to emerge, regular evaluations and open channels for feedback guarantee that any attempts at corruption are swiftly identified and addressed, ensuring a culture of integrity and mutual trust.
An Open-Source Society
Furthermore, this cooperative model fosters a culture of collaboration and mutual support. Without the pressure to outcompete others for profit, businesses and individuals are encouraged to share knowledge, resources, and expertise to achieve common goals. We are in essence talking about an “open-source society”.
This leads to innovations that benefit society as a whole, rather than serving the interests of a few. While uniqueness will still be recognised and rewarded under this economic model, able to achieve success through its specific “flavour” or USP, a tiered management model that helps to govern each industry will allow these shared resources and information to play a part in a more streamlined and better-coordinated collective evolution of each industry, rather than by individual businesses. Individuals will still reap worthwhile rewards for contributions to innovations without this success manifesting as leverage and power.
This emphasis on cooperation also reduces the stress and alienation often associated with competitive work environments, contributing to the overall wellbeing of employees and society at large. We can begin to celebrate our collective achievements rather than successes being a cause for envy and intention of sabotage. In this way, we further lessen the desires for corruption and underhanded business practice.
Conclusion: The Fight for a New World
The redundancy of profit in a cooperative society represents a profound transformation in how we conceive of economic success and the role of businesses. By prioritising cooperation, social responsibility, and holistic value, this system offers a vision of a more equitable, sustainable, and fulfilling way of organising industry and work. It challenges the dominant capitalist paradigm and opens the door to a future where the success of a business is truly measured by its ability to enhance the wellbeing of people and the planet.
But no system exists without flaws, and a system change isn’t exactly simple. Pulling profit out of the capitalist structure would be like trying to yank a lambchop out of a hungry tiger’s mouth. Those who are currently winning the game have no intention to unburden themselves of money and power. However, their economic model is already in the process of change, with capitalism to disappear before the end of the decade. Likely, we will find ourselves in a battle soon enough where we must either obey whatever changes are offered, or forge our own alternative. Likely, those in positions of power will try to switch it out using the justification from some Hegelian dialectic, making a scapegoat out of climate-change or cyber attacks. We already know these people are corrupt…
A new installation faces many challenges that cannot hope to be dictated here. What should be understood with any of these proposals or ideas is that they first must be delivered to the people so that they know that there is a functional alternative. Without that understanding, there is no hope to supplant the corrupt. So please, join me in contemplating a new way, a new structure, and together we can make meaningful change.