Abstract: This theoretical essay aims to critically analyze the phenomenon referred to as the “reverse talent auction,” understood as a contemporary logic of the labor market in which rising technical, cognitive, and behavioral demands occur alongside the economic and symbolic devaluation of workers. The motivation for this study arises from recurring observations on social media, digital platforms, and job postings, where discourses normalizing precariousness, competition for lower wages, and the erosion of professional recognition become evident, particularly in the Brazilian and Latin American reality. The general objective is to understand this phenomenon from a philosophical and sociological perspective, while the specific objectives are to: (i) discuss work as an ethical, historical, and social category; (ii) relate the gig economy and platform capitalism to the intensification of precarious labor conditions; and (iii) articulate contributions from classical and contemporary European and South American authors to interpret the devaluation of work in the Global South. The methodology is qualitative in nature, based on a literature review and a theoretical essay, without the use of empirical data, drawing on classical philosophy, critical theory, and the sociology of work. In conclusion, the essay argues that the reverse talent auction constitutes a structural phenomenon, associated with historical dynamics of alienation, deskilling, and labor neocolonialism, rather than merely the result of individual choices.
Authors: BRANDÃO, Iraê César; OLIVEIRA, Gustavo Borges de
DOI: 10.29327/7766371
Publish Year: 2026
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