Practical philosophy

In defense of (meaningful, well paid) work

Is it possible to envision a society where people don’t work? If so, would it be a good idea? And how do we get there?

Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times, from telegraphindia.com

I have a close relative, V., who couldn’t wait to retire. His job was socially useful, well paid, and accompanied by above average benefits. Still, he was very much looking forward to his (early) retirement. He wanted the freedom and time to do things. The day finally came, and V. enjoyed a period of ecstasy, savoring his new situation. For a few months. Then depression and apathy set in, and they have lasted ever since — twenty years and counting.

V.’s experience is not unusual. A correlation between retirement and depression is well established in the literature, though the causal direction underlying it is, of course, disputed. One recent study, published by Wentao Li and collaborators in the American Journal of Epidemiology, presented a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data. The conclusion was that the association between retirement and depression is stronger in Eastern than Western countries, and also stronger when retirement is mandatory compared to when it is voluntary or regulatory (i.e., at fixed age established in advance).

Then again, working ain’t no panacea for happiness either. Millions of people are exploited, often by multinational corporations that make billions for their CEOs and shareholders at the expense of health plans, retirement plans, safety on the job, decent hours, or just a fair pay. And with the multi-decade long decline of trade unions, across countries, things aren’t going to get better any time soon.

So this seems like a good time to debate whether the very idea of work is tenable, or whether we should get rid of the notion altogether and dramatically restructure our society. John Danaher, in a thought provoking article published in The Philosophers’ Magazine, presents the case against work. In this essay, I’m going to push back a little, in a qualified manner.

Danaher begins by proposing a definition of work as “the performance of an activity for economic reward or in the hope of receiving some such reward.” So far, so good.