A protocol for a merit-based economic system where human time replaces money as the measure of value.
The current economic system ties human survival to employment and measures worth through monetary wealth. As AI and automation increasingly replace human labor — both manual and cognitive — this model is becoming obsolete.
Time Is Value proposes an alternative: an economic system where basic needs are guaranteed to all, and human time dedicated to the community becomes the universal measure of contribution and merit.
This repository contains the manifesto, the technical specification, and the ongoing discussion around designing a coherent merit-based economic system for the age of artificial intelligence.
📜 The Manifesto — Why this exists and what we believe.
Then, for orientation before diving into the specs:
- Fundamentals — The ten axioms everything else rests on.
- Challenges and Solutions — Common objections and how the system addresses them. A good way to stress-test your first reactions.
For the reasoning behind specific design choices, see NOTES.md — the decision log.
The full system specification is organized in the following sections:
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| 01 - Fundamentals | Core principles and axioms of the system |
| 02 - Merit System | How merit is defined, measured, and validated |
| 03 - Guaranteed Rights | What every person receives unconditionally |
| 04 - Governance | Decision-making, power distribution, and transparency |
| 05 - AI and Automation | The role of technology in enabling the system |
| 06 - Challenges and Solutions | Addressing objections and edge cases |
🚧 Work in progress, in open development. The protocol is actively being refined. This is a specification project, not a transition plan — the repository contains a carefully-designed alternative, not a roadmap for getting from the current system to this one. See The Human Precondition in the Manifesto for why.
This project is built on a few core beliefs:
- Human time is the only truly democratic resource. It cannot be inherited, hoarded, or speculated upon.
- Basic human needs are rights, not rewards. Housing, food, healthcare, and education should not depend on economic output.
- AI is an opportunity, not a threat. If machines can handle production, humans are free to focus on what truly matters.
- The best systems are designed openly. A system for all of humanity must be built by all of humanity.
The Manifesto is available in additional languages:
The technical specifications are maintained in English as the source of truth. Translations of the Manifesto alone are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidance.
Contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to engage with the project — what kinds of contributions are most useful, how to open issues, and how to submit changes.
The most valuable contributions are: honest criticism, specific objections, edge cases the specs don't address, and proposals rooted in the existing text.
The vision, the axioms, and every design decision in this protocol are the author's. Claude (Anthropic) was used throughout as a critical sounding board and editorial aid — stress-testing arguments, surfacing weaknesses, and helping draft and refine the English text. Every position stated here is one a human chose to stand behind.
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).
You are free to share and adapt this material, as long as you give appropriate credit and distribute your contributions under the same license.