Thesis: “The sources of the dignity of work are to be sought primarily in the subjective dimension, not in the objective

one.”(Laborem Exercens, Saint Pope John Paul II)

I. WORK IS PART OF SOCIETY’S SUSTAINING DYNAMICS

Human life can be viewed and explained from different perspectives. In our course, we have entered into an understanding of the human
endeavors by using two paradigms commonly used by social scientists, philosophers, economists, and psychologists: The social process
triangles and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Both looked at the person from three basic compartments or dimensions of the economic,
political and cultural, and affirmed that the base would be the economic life. The economic dimension cannot be undermined or
neglected. In principle, man is an embodied being: placed within the confines of physical matter and subject under the laws of nature.
A hungry body, even though it is willing to act or work cannot function. As said: “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” So, as
required by nature, man is essentially an economic being, for only in the economic commonality that he can sustain himself. As St. Paul
exhorts: “If anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.”(2 Thes 3:10)

II. DEFINITION AND HISTORICAL VALUATION OF WORK

What is work? Work is a sustained human activity done for a purpose. This purpose refers to its objective and subjective aspects.
Different historical epochs also speak of how work and its aspects are being valued.

a. Primitive period- primitive man knows no specific value for work. He hunts and gathers food to keep himself alive. But more than
security, man works in order to offer sacrifice to the gods. (For they thought that everything is under the control of the hidden forces of
nature or the gods.) The switch from food gathering and hunting to agriculture and cattle breeding is prompted more by the desire to
offer to the gods a more worthy sacrifice. Work then is not to manipulate the world or change but to appease the gods through ritual and
magic.

b. Hellenistic period. The Greeks are said to have initiated the breakthrough from the primitive world of myth and magic to the world
of reason. Man is different from the brute animal because of his capacity to perceive order, form, and harmony in the cosmos. The
Greeks consequently cut off work from the sacredness of nature and made it profane. They now look upon it as fitting only for the slaves
and the animals. Citizenry is divided between the free and the unfree, with the free men living on the work of others. (Slavery)

There was division of labor, and it is patterned after man’s natural needs and capacities. (techne-“talent”)

c. Christianity in the middle ages puts an end to the devaluation of work by the Greeks. To work is an imitation of God, a participation
of his creative act. St. Thomas regards work as good for man because it can cultivate the virtue of industriousness, controlling his unruly
passions and overcoming idleness. Yet work does not possess any intrinsic value since it does not require any intellectual effort. , ora
et labora. Work is noble as long as one is not attached to the fruits of one’s labor but offers it to God. Thus St. Benedict’s rule: “Laborare
est orare.”The ambiguity of work is resolved in the motto of the monks

d.16th to 19th centuries (Modern period) Due to the growing individualistic spirit of the times, there is now no limit to making profit, to
accumulating interest-bearing capital. Gradually, the power of the guilds decline, and industry and technique merge to form big
capitalistic enterprises. The natural sciences with their empirical investigations bring out the knowledge and power of man to control
nature and make nature conform to man. Man is homo economicus.

III. THE OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE VALUES OF WORK

So how is work being valued objectively and subjectively based on the following historical data?

1. Work provides man with the means of livelihood. We can earn a living and provide for our materials: clothing, health (food and
medicine, hygiene), without which society would not be ordered and civilizations would not be built. Marx says that the whole of world
history is nothing but the creation of man by human labor, and the emergence of nature for man. However, work cannot be simply
reduced to a means to live. In fact, man lives in order to work, for the work is the way to realize his true humanity.

2. Work is for man’s personal fulfillment- sometimes, work becomes a symbol of social status, in a sense-self-worth. So, the courses
that we take, the work that we do are not for pragmatic purposes only. Meaning to say, we are not after its objective dimension, or
contributions to the economy of the society, such as in agriculture, technology, education and others. We are not also after lucrative jobs
(producing a great deal of profit). Thus, when you aspire to become someone, e.g. a doctor, engineer, lawyer, your purpose is not to earn
money, not for your personal pleasure/interests. Becoming one can be fulfilling.

At age 35-55 people want to consider if they are really happy with their lives. They may have good families and good jobs, but they are
still question themselves whether they are looking for something more in life. Our personal expectations and other speculations,
expectations of us are mixed, and confuse us.

3. Work is man’s service to humanity- human civilization is not to be judged by the things produced. Situation: workers interviewed:
laying stones, mixing cement, building a cathedral, a school gymnasium so that students may have something to use.

4. It is his way to unite himself to human community- for example: in the division of labor, man makes himself interdependent with
fellowman. Productive labor makes man social, makes people work for one another, and makes man a fellowman. Competition is bad,
cooperation for the common good. Crimes- are evil and contribute not to the good.

5. WORK IS A FREE ACIVITY. His reflection as a human person-because only man can work intelligently. Marx contrasts human
labor and animal labor. Animals produce, but under the compulsion of direct physical need, the animals are one with their life activity,
and they do not distinguish themselves from their own activities.

Man works universally. Man produces freely. He is not confined to his own species. He can produce a plan which can fly like the birds.
He can produce in accordance with the standards of every species, and also with the laws of beauty. His work is conscious and is the
object of his will and consciousness.