Historical Perspectives on Work
– Ancient Greek thinkers critiqued and wished for the abolishment of labor.
– The anonymously published treatise titled ‘Essay on Trade and Commerce’ advocated for imprisoning the poor in workhouses.
– Malthus and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 supported views opposing labor.
– The battle for shortening working hours to ten hours occurred from the 1840s to around 1900.
– The establishment of the eight-hour working day happened faster, with a reduction of two working hours between the mid-1880s and 1919.
– Greek philosophers viewed work as a curse.
– Ancient philosophers agreed on the abhorrence of work.
– Italian cultural theorist Adriano Tilgher supported the view that work was a curse.
– The aristocratic perspective in antiquity also saw work as a curse.
– The ancient philosophers had disputes on the origin of ideas but agreed on the aversion to work.
Critiques of Work and Capitalism
– Paul Lafargue argued that fighting for an eight-hour working day was madness.
– Lafargue believed that automation could have reduced working hours to three or four hours a day.
– Lafargue emphasized the importance of leisure, joy, and self-realization.
– According to Lafargue, the time freed up by machines was often converted into more hours of toil and drudgery.
– He saw the machine as the potential savior of humanity if it led to more leisure time.
– Bertrand Russell’s book ‘In Praise of Idleness’ discussed the benefits of sharing the burden of work equally.
– Russell argued that reducing work hours would eliminate unemployment and increase human happiness.
– Russell criticized the choice to have overwork for some and starvation for others.
– He believed that modern methods of production offered the possibility of ease and security for all.
– Russell emphasized the potential for increased science and art with more free time.
– Guy Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’ critiques the role of work in capitalism.
– Friedrich Nietzsche rejected the work ethic, viewing it as detrimental to reason and individual development.
– Frédéric Lordon’s ‘Willing Slaves of Capital’ discusses desire and work.
– Franco Berardi’s ‘The Soul at Work’ explores alienation and autonomy in the workplace.
– George Alliger’s ‘Anti-Work: Psychological Investigations into Its Truths, Problems, and Solutions’ delves into the psychological aspects of anti-work.
Bullshit Jobs and Pointless Work
– David Graeber wrote about ‘bullshit jobs’ that are meaningless and do not contribute anything worthwhile.
– He highlighted that these jobs are often not the worst paid ones.
– Examples of bullshit jobs include copying and pasting emails, looking busy, and pushing elevator buttons.
– These jobs can also involve making others look or feel important and solving repetitive issues.
– Institutions may hire people for jobs that they claim to do but do not actually fulfill.
– Bullshit jobs are highly paid but meaningless.
– Struntjobb refers to jobs that lack justification even for the workers.
– Some jobs are considered bad due to their negative aspects, but they are necessary for society.
– Pointless jobs are often respected and well-paid.
– David Graeber’s book ‘Bullshit Jobs: A Theory’ explores the concept of meaningless work.
Anti-Work Movement and Activism
– Millennials are embracing the anti-work movement.
– Online movements, such as Reddit’s r/antiwork, aim to end work.
– Kellogg’s worker strike led to Reddit users spamming the company’s job portal.
– The Idler is a publication that supports the anti-work movement.
– Critical social theory and studies on anti-work subjectivities contribute to the movement.
– The largest organized anti-work community is the subreddit r/antiwork on Reddit, with over 2.8 million members.
– The Swedish Public Freedom Service is a conceptual art project promoting an anti-work message.
Perspectives on Anti-Work Theory
– Adele Peters argues that work is bullshit and advocates for anti-work.
– The Daily Signal claims that a universal basic income is anti-work.
– Barnaby Lashbrooke suggests that the anti-work movement highlights issues in the workplace.
– The Idler provides information and resources on the anti-work movement.
– Daisy Schofield explores the Reddit community advocating for the abolition of work. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critique_of_work
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German and Swedish. (May 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Critique of work or critique of labour is the critique of, and wish to abolish, work as such, and to critique what the critics of works deem wage slavery.
Critique of work can be existential, and focus on how labour can be and/or feel meaningless, and stands in the way for self-realisation. But the critique of work can also highlight how excessive work may cause harm to nature, the productivity of society, and/or society itself. The critique of work can also take on a more utilitarian character, in which work simply stands in the way for human happiness as well as health.
