Chapter 1: Money, Currency, and the Foundation of Surnumerism

Introduction: Money as the Supreme Human Creation

Money, synonymous with currency, is one of humanity’s most remarkable creations. Before its invention, barter required a coincidence of desires, limiting exchanges to local and inefficient interactions. As Yuval Noah Harari emphasized (Sapiens, 2014), money is a shared fiction, a collective act of faith that transcends cultural and geographical barriers, enabling trade, investment, and the building of complex societies. Without it, humanity would be relegated to economic chaos, unable to coordinate ambitions or sustain large-scale development.

In terms of followers, money is essentially an act of faith whose “religion” embraces nearly all of humanity. It eclipses all past religions or ideologies.

Surnumerism, synonymous with surplus, follows this lineage by supporting human labor through a specific levy on large corporations for the benefit of senior executives, fostering entrepreneurial continuity. The term “surplus” evokes potential unlocked through intelligent redistribution. Surnumerism moralizes manufactured goods and financial flows, transforming speculative accumulations and inequalities into opportunities for deserving executives and global communities. This chapter lays the philosophical and economic foundations of Surnumerism, rooted in this universal lever toward greater human progress.

Money: A Progressive Act of Faith

Money, as currency, is more than a tool of exchange. It embodies collective trust in a shared value, allowing individuals to collaborate without knowing each other. According to Niall Ferguson (The Ascent of Money, 2008), the rise of money multiplied economic interactions, transforming isolated communities into global networks. However, this human creation has been diverted: speculative finance, with a derivatives market estimated at 600 trillion USD (Bank for International Settlements, 2025), channels flows away from productive purposes, deepening inequalities (1% holds 54% of global wealth, Oxfam, 2025). Technological unemployment, threatening 20% of jobs by 2030 (OECD), exacerbates this divide.

Surnumerism rehabilitates human labor. By levying a CapitalSurn on large corporations (revenues >1 billion USD or >500 employees), it channels wealth toward deserving senior executives, who reinvest in high-value projects (SROI >1.5). This mechanism creates synergy: companies support innovation, executives ensure entrepreneurial continuity, and communities benefit from balanced distribution. This innovative tax becomes a lever of equity and progress.

Surnumerism: Supporting Human Labor

Surnumerism supports human labor by valuing merit—measured by education, experience, and contribution—through a levy dedicated to senior executives. It refines the use of financial flows by aligning individual and collective interests. Unlike capitalism, which privatizes gains, or socialism, which stifles initiative, Surnumerism proposes a middle path:
- Enlightened Redistribution: CapitalSurn levies a fraction of net revenues from large corporations, redistributed via the SurnBank, a hybrid institution (30% companies, 30% unions, 40% governments).
- Merit and Responsibility: Executives, selected objectively (open-source algorithms), reinvest in productive projects, fostering entrepreneurial continuity.
- Global Partnerships: Banks, international institutions (UNDP, ILO), and levies on cryptocurrencies (0.1% per transaction) diversify funding.
- Moralization of Finance: Elimination of speculation, prioritization of real investments.

Conceptual Example

Consider a multinational, EcoCorp, generating 5 billion USD in annual net revenues. CapitalSurn, calculated at an effective rate of 3.56%, levies 178 million USD, redistributed via the SurnBank for:
- A wind energy startup, led by a deserving executive, powering 500,000 households at low cost.
- A training program in artificial intelligence for 20,000 young people, reducing technological unemployment by 8% in a region.
- A humanitarian reserve to build rural schools, strengthening basic education.

These projects illustrate how Surnumerism transforms the dual distribution of income (salary and funds from CapitalSurn) into collective progress, fostering entrepreneurial continuity among executives.

Counterarguments and Responses

Some may criticize Surnumerism as utopian or complex. Here are common objections and responses:
- Utopia: Redistribution via CapitalSurn is pragmatic, relying on existing mechanisms (taxes, subsidies).
- Complexity: Open-source AI and blockchain audits guarantee transparency.
- Corporate Resistance: Tax exemptions on productive investments encourage participation.

Conclusion

Surnumerism enables human labor to moralize the economy. By redistributing wealth toward productive opportunities through senior executives, it offers a middle path between capitalism and socialism. The next chapter details the operational mechanism of CapitalSurn, the first lever of this transformation.