Investigating the meaning of work: From allusive images to paradoxes

Abstract In this article I wish to shed light on the meaning of work, which contributes to a deep understanding of ourselves, our identity, our dignity, and our desire for happiness, by specifying some intrinsic virtues: industriousness, professionalism (both technical and moral), and the spirit of service. Two opposing interpretations are to be avoided: the merely functional, minimalist interpretation (Aristotelian in origin); and the emphatic, excessive interpretation of ‘workism’ (connected to the scientific revolution and scientism, as human dominance over nature through work). In the conclusion, I instead emphasize Aristotle, pointing out that, in work, all three dynamic dimensions of the human being that he theorized are included: alongside the productive dimension (poiesis), we in fact find the moral dimension (praxis) and the speculative dimension (theoria), which Aristotle (but not his successors) believed were implicated in every activity. This makes it possible to highlight the multifaceted semantics of work. I anticipate that I will often turn to fiction and to the extreme experiences of the gulags and concentration camps to make this essay more compelling.