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I have human hiveminds populating the various landmasses of Earth. A Hivemind is one giant mind formed from the mental aggregation of every human that makes it up. This singular but powerful mind can pilot every body it has with absolute ease, able to perfectly coordinate its bodies much like a human moves its fingers. A Hivemind can also comprehend and 'feel' every sensory data its bodies receive without getting overwhelmed by the sheer information. Essentially, think of it as one individual in multiple bodies.

Hiveminds occupy specific parts of the world, forming what are technically 'nations'. There are thousands that exist usually. Relationships between them are varied. Current tech and civilization level for the Hiveminds is modern day.

Each Hivemind has one 'weak' superpower such as not needing to eat or being able to produce a few grams of any metals out of nothing. Because of how many bodies a Hivemind normally has, these superpowers achieve a qualitative change through immense quantity.

The mental aspect and superpower of a Hivemind is supernatural in nature so it is completely detached from natural processes. Consequently, the humans that make up a Hivemind is physically similar to a normal person.

Under these conditions, would an economy form among the Hiveminds? Would they have a need for it?

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    $\begingroup$ Economy is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Unless those entities live in a world where everything is available for free everywhere in unlimited quantities, or they do not need any material resources, then they will obviously need to have a method for resource allocation. $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Commented Aug 8 at 12:43
  • $\begingroup$ @AlexP Indeed, economy doesn't mean money. Even areas of high cooperation there is still an economy, a group of ship-wrecked survivors can all work for the common good but there will still be an economy of gathering, distributing and consuming resources. $\endgroup$
    – HSharp
    Commented Aug 8 at 14:24
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    $\begingroup$ -1 for failing to do your obligatory research before asking this Q. An economy always exists because an economy is nothing more than an organized effort to allocate resources where needed. Your hivemind would do this this automatically in some cases (ensuring that every individual has the resources needed to complete assigned tasks) and conciously in others (special allocations when, e.g., defence against attack is needed). As asked, the only answer (to both your questions, VTC:Needs More Focus) is completely trivial, "yes, of course." $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Aug 9 at 3:16

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Economy is trade

There is no doubts that hiveminds have use of things of other hiveminds. Resources, labour or services, all can be traded. The moment there is trade there is an economy.

Even if they do not need to feed themselves or can create materials there is use for trading. Metal from one mine is often different from others. Certain gasses or something like phosphates can be rare in certain parts, but abundant in others. Some crops or specific products can only be created in certain areas. Specific wines are an extreme example, but it can be as simple as an herb only growing in permafrost regions in the Northern hemisphere. One hivemind might have a lot of production power or mastery to create certain items.

You always have shortages or abundances to trade.

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  • $\begingroup$ classic non-metal non-food, examples include rubber, timber, limestone, niter, textiles, oil, ice and of course water. $\endgroup$
    – John
    Commented Aug 8 at 21:41
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Where there is a need for something scarce, there is an economy. Think of air and scuba divers, who happily pay for having it bottled for their dives.

The same applies to your hivemind.

Your hivemind has bodies and bodies have needs, either for goods or services, and for sure not all will be non scarce.

Those will be the seed for the onset of an economy.

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