The Philosophy of Work

Alessandro Colarossi has insights for the bored and understimulated.

- Alessandro Colarossi

If you’ve ever found yourself staring blankly at a spreadsheet or nursing a lukewarm cup of coffee while daydreaming about your next vacation, this is for you. Yes, you, the one who periodically contemplates existential questions between email exchanges and Zoom meetings. If your work feels like a necessary yet uninspiring pursuit, a means to fund your ‘real life’ outside the office, let us delve together into the philosophical underpinnings of work. Who knows, we might find ways to render the banal a little more bearable, or even meaningful.

Aristotle and the Dignity of Work

Aristotle, one of the most influential philosophers in Western thought, had distinctive views on work. He made a clear distinction between chrematistics (wealth acquisition) and oikonomia (household management). In his view, work performed purely for the sake of livelihood, or chrematistics, was not inherently virtuous; it was simply a means to an end. However, work that contributed to the well-being of the community, or oikonomia, was considered virtuous as it served a higher purpose.

Aristotle asserted that work aimed at wealth accumulation (chrematistics) was a practical necessity of life, but not a noble goal. It was essential to fulfill our basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. However, when wealth accumulation became the primary aim, it could lead to an unhealthy focus on materialism, potentially degrading societal values and causing imbalance in life.

On the other hand, Aristotle regarded oikonomia as a more virtuous form of work. This was work that concerned the wellbeing and self-sufficiency of the household and, by extension, the community. It involved efficiently managing resources, caring for people’s needs, and contributing to the collective health and prosperity.