09
Work is half of life – but which half?
Philosophers from antiquity to the present day have studied work.
Aristotle saw leisure as a prerequisite for a good life – not work
For Aristotle, leisure (Greek: school) not Laziness or doing nothing – but the Time for what matters: for philosophy, politics, art, friendship, contemplation.
So for everything that allows man to good life to lead a life according to his rational nature.
Work – especially physical or “necessary” work – was for him not an end in itself, but a means to free oneself from necessities and gain time for the actual human activities. This included theoria (contemplation), i.e. the contemplative activity of the mind.
Luther revolutionized thinking about work with the idea of Professional (Profession = vocation)
In the Middle Ages, work was often viewed as something lowly, reserved for the "common people." Monks, nobles, and philosophers were considered "above" the necessity of physical labor. Leisure and prayer were considered the higher activities.
“God is in the kitchen with the maid just as he is in the monastery with the monks.”
In this way, secular work is sanctified – and for the first time understood as part of a religious and moral way of life.
This Lutheran view later shaped the Protestant work ethic (Max Weber).
Work is no longer seen as a necessity, but as a moral duty – and as a path to self-realization before God.
Laziness is no longer just inefficient, but sinful.
In Calvinism and early capitalism, hard work and professional success are seen as signs of divine election.
Work becomes a virtue. Leisure = suspect.
Marx dreamed of a world in which work is no longer a compulsion.
Work is ambiguous:
– as self-realization
– as alienation in capitalism
Hannah Arendt, distinguishes between Vita activa (1958) between:
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Work (for biological livelihood)
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Produce (Creating things, e.g. art, tools)
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Act (be politically active)
Denksyndikat 09
04.06.2025
18:30 Open doors
19:00 start
22:00 end
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