Lectures 2009- 2023
Featured Talks:
The New Human Rights Movement Talk | University of Santa Barbara, CA, Nov 8th 2017.
About:
The lecture summarizes the key concepts of Peter Joseph’s book The New Human Rights Movement. The primary focus is on public health, which includes both physical and mental health, and how the current market-based economy exacerbates public health crises. Examples such as the Flint water crisis, opioid addiction, and mass violence highlight how systemic issues in economics contribute to these crises. Joseph argues that the economy, while facilitating goods and services, is deeply dysfunctional and inefficient, resulting in avoidable social issues, which he refers to as structural violence.
Joseph advocates for systemic thinking, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research, combining sociology and behavioral biology, to understand how social environments and economic systems influence human behavior. He provides evidence that poverty and socioeconomic inequality directly impact cognitive development, mental health, and overall public health.
He argues that fundamental economic changes are necessary to address the root causes of these problems, proposing transitions such as automation, shared resources, open-source collaboration, and localization. Joseph emphasizes that without a drastic overhaul of the market economy, which he sees as outdated and incompatible with modern ecological and social needs, humanity risks escalating global instability. The lecture calls for a new socio-economic model to prioritize sustainability and public well-being.
Where do we go from here, Athens Greece, March 26th 2016,
About:
In his 2016 ZDay lecture in Athens, Peter Joseph explores the detrimental impacts of socioeconomic inequality on public health, social stability, and the environment. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s last book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, Joseph emphasizes the connection between poverty, inequality, and capitalism, noting that socioeconomic inequality fuels public health crises, stress-related diseases, and social instability.
Joseph critiques capitalism’s emphasis on scarcity, competition, and elite control, arguing that these structural dynamics perpetuate poverty, violence, and environmental degradation. He references studies that show how inequality negatively affects cognitive development, mental health, and life expectancy, particularly among those in poverty. Stress, exacerbated by inequality, leads to higher rates of heart disease, addiction, and even violence.
In addition to highlighting these health concerns, Joseph discusses the environmental repercussions of a growth-driven economy, predicting future crises related to resource depletion and technological unemployment. He calls for a new civil rights movement focused on the abolition of socioeconomic inequality, arguing that addressing this issue is essential for achieving social justice and sustainability.
Improbable Democracy, Washington DC, The People’s Convergence, Sept 8th 2017, Washington DC America University
About:
In this lecture, Peter Joseph delves into the structural roots of socioeconomic inequality and its impact on public health, politics, and the environment. He begins by discussing the inception of The Zeitgeist Movement, a non-profit organization aimed at raising awareness about the ecological and social instability caused by our current economic system. Joseph connects this instability to the broader issues presented in his two books, particularly The New Human Rights Movement, which emphasizes that socioeconomic inequality, rooted in the market system, is a major public health threat.
Joseph critiques modern political and economic systems, stating that our consumer-driven economy is inherently unsustainable, creating waste, ecological damage, and increasing inequality. He argues that cyclical consumption, planned obsolescence, and wealth imbalance are core features of the market economy, all of which degrade public health and destabilize society.
The lecture touches on biological and cultural structuralism, highlighting how societal behaviors, such as bigotry and oppression, are shaped by social and economic structures, rather than any fixed “human nature.” Joseph critiques the commonly accepted notion that competition and self-interest are natural human traits, emphasizing that these are products of environmental conditions and institutionalized systems.
He also critiques government, noting that political systems tend to reinforce the interests of the wealthy elite and big business. Joseph explains that capitalism and democracy have failed to merge harmoniously, with the economic structure dominating and subverting genuine democratic processes. He warns that this dynamic paves the way for fascist tendencies within governments that are, at their core, controlled by capitalist interests.
In conclusion, Joseph advocates for a new social and economic orientation, one based on sustainable abundance rather than scarcity and competition. He suggests that we must embrace technological advancements that allow for “more with less” and create a system that prioritizes resource efficiency and equity. The lecture ends with a call to action, urging creative and activist initiatives to drive systemic change from the bottom up, moving toward a post-scarcity society.
Economic Calculation in a Natural Law / Resource-based Economy, Peter Joseph, The Zeitgeist Movement, Berlin Germany, November 12 2013
About:
IPeter Joseph’s lecture on “Economic Calculation in a Natural Law/Resource-Based Economy (NLRBE)” focuses on addressing the flaws of the current market economy and proposing a transition to a resource-based system. Joseph begins by emphasizing that market capitalism is unsustainable, inherently fosters inequality, and damages the environment due to its dependence on constant consumption and cyclical waste. He points out that this system treats the Earth as an inventory for exploitation, leading to environmental degradation and depletion of life-support systems.
Joseph argues that a Natural Law/Resource-Based Economy (NLRBE) offers an alternative rooted in sustainability and efficiency, aiming for a “post-scarcity” society. In Part I, he outlines how market capitalism’s inherent flaws prevent solutions to public health and environmental crises, necessitating a radical change. He critiques the consumption-driven model for its failure to incentivize resource conservation, sustainability, or equitable wealth distribution. Part II introduces the concept of “post-scarcity” and explores the potential for abundant food, water, energy, and material goods through technological advancements, like vertical farming and renewable energy. These methods, he argues, can provide global abundance while reducing environmental strain.
In Part III, Joseph discusses how an NLRBE would function, highlighting a collaborative design interface, resource management systems, and feedback loops to ensure that production meets human needs sustainably. This system prioritizes efficient design, recycling, and automation, and eliminates the need for money, property, or prices, relying instead on open-source data and global resource monitoring.
Question and Answer Summary:
During the Q&A session, questions primarily revolved around the practicality of implementing an NLRBE. Joseph emphasized that technology already exists to support many aspects of this system, but societal inertia and vested interests in the current economic framework are significant obstacles. He addressed concerns about transitioning away from capitalism, asserting that a systems approach based on open-source collaboration and sustainability protocols is the key. Additionally, he clarified that while achieving total abundance in all areas is impossible, an NLRBE can strategically manage resources to meet human needs without overexploitation.
Historical Archive
(30 current count; In order of recent to oldest)
(Above) A Viable Society, Peter Joseph, from 2023 Trailblazers Systemic Change Conference, United Kingdom, Jan. 14th 2023
(Above) Sustainability: Beyond Political Categorization, Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 23rd 2019
(Above) The Viable System, Toronto, ON, May 27th 2018
(Above) A Democratic Precondition? : UWS Festival, Texas, April 29th 2018
(Above) The New Human Rights Movement, University of Santa Barbara, Nov. 8th 2017 Talk
(Above) Improbable Democracy, The People’s Convergence, Sept 8th 2017
(Above) Train of Thought and Q & A Session, Brisbane, Australia, March 15 2017
(Above) Where do we go from here, Athens, Greece, March 26th 2016
(Above) The End of Capitalism, METal, Los Angeles, June 20th ’15
(Above) Origins and Adaptations Part III, Berlin, Germany, March 15th 2015
(Above) Three Questions: What do you propose?, Oct 23, 2014, Los Angeles
(Above) Art Science Alloys, Zeitgeist Media Festival, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 4th 2014
(Above) Origins and Adaptations II, Toronto, ON, March 15th 2014
(Above) Economic Calculation in a Natural Law / RBE, Berlin, Germany, Nov 12th 2013
(Above) History of Economic Thought, Los Angeles, CA, March 17th 2013
(Above) Global Summit Webinar, July 19th 2012
(Above) Origins and Adaptations Part II, Vancouver, Canada, March 16th 2012
(Above) Defining Peace, Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 6th 2012
(Above) From Consequences to Solutions, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 26 2011
(Above) Speech to Occupy LA, Occupy Wall St., Los Angeles Oct 15 2011
(Above) Speech to Occupy Wall St, Manhattan, New York, Sept 12 2011
(Above) When Normality Becomes Distortion, Leaders Causing Leaders Conf., Los Angeles, CA, October 15 2011
(Above) Arriving at a Resource Based Economy, London, UK, March 15th 2011
(Above) An Introduction to a Resource-Based Economy, TEDxPortugal, March 21st 2011
(Above) Where are we going? Part II, Maharishi University, Fairfield Iowa, Nov. 15th 2009
(Above) Where are we going? Part I, Maharishi University, Fairfield Iowa, Nov. 15th 2009
(Above) Where are we now?, London, UK, July 25th 2009
(Above) The Big Question, TEDxOjai, Ojai, CA, March 9th 2012
(Above) Social Pathology, Manhattan, New York, March 15, 2010
(Above) Zday Presentation, Manhattan, New York, March 15, 2009