> If you look at existing hunter gatherer societies, the actual time that is required to be invested in subsistence is much less than the 40 hour weeks of today

> If you look at existing hunter gatherer societies, the actual time that is required to be invested in subsistence is much less than the 40 hour weeks of today's society. 40 hours of work provides much more than subsistence, even at sub-minimum-wage income levels in the US.[0] The vast majority of people earning an income in the US earn greater than the minimum wage. Only 2.1% of hourly workers earn at or below the minimum wage in 2018, and it's been trending downward for decades.[1] Both a hunter-gatherer society and modern capitalist society offer opportunities for luxury[2] beyond subsistence. These are different. A value judgment between the two would be just that, and I don't want to fight about any differences among the things that you and I value. EDIT : updated BLS link to latest, and reference to 2018, instead of 2017. [0] Personal experience. I have lived at $10K/yr within the last decade in the US. My sister has, too. Note, this would be a full time $5/hr. [1] https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage [2] See my comment sibling to yours for this non-standard use. I don't have a better word. Here, I mean "luxury" as "beyond subsistence".