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Hello! In today’s episode of my philosophical musings, we will delve into the problem of work. What is work? Why is it divided into physical and mental labor? Is work important to humans? Is it a necessary evil, or is it a human good? Does work serve only as a means of earning money, or does it also contribute to personal development? Would society be able to function and maintain order without work? Does work have only a practical dimension, or does it also have a moral or theoretical one? Does work have purely positive significance, or can it be used for evil purposes (for instance, in building socialism or Nazi Germany—the infamous slogan "Work sets you free"—or other totalitarian states)? Let us attempt to answer these questions. Let's start by answering the question: What is work? For this, we will refer to sources such as philosophical dictionaries. In the "Dictionary of Philosophy," edited by Jan Hartman, it is written: "Work—conscious and purposeful activity that requires effort and is 'positive,' i.e., aimed at producing or transforming material and spiritual goods. It is considered by various disciplines: psychology and sociology of work, economics, history. Philosophy approaches work from the perspective of its general characteristics as a phenomenon in the life of the individual and society, its value for shaping and developing human personality, culture, civilization, and morality.Since the Enlightenment, work has been a lively topic of consideration by many thinkers, such as A. Smith, D. Ricardo, C.H. Saint-Simon, K. Marx, S. Brzozowski, T. Kotarbiński, K. Wojtyła. (M.U.)"

At the beginning of Book 5 of his "Meditations," Marcus Aurelius writes: "1. In the morning, when you reluctantly wake up, think to yourself: I wake up to the toil of a man. Should I then feel dissatisfied that I am going to work, for which I was born and sent into the world? Was I created for the purpose of warming myself while lying in bed? But this is more pleasant. Were you born for pleasure? Not for toil, not for work? Do you not see how plants, sparrows, ants, spiders, bees do what they must, and according to their capabilities contribute to the harmony of the world?

And you do not want to do what is human? Are you not eager for the duties imposed by your nature?—But I need to rest. I do not deny it! Indeed, nature has given a measure for that. And it has also given a measure for eating and drinking. Yet you go beyond the limit, beyond necessity. Only in work do you stay within the 'limit of possibility.' For you do not love yourself, for if you did, you would love your nature and its will. Others, who love their work, exhaust themselves in their efforts, forgetting about bathing and eating. Yet you value your nature less than the sculptor values his art of sculpture, or the dancer his art of dancing, or the miser his money, or the ambitious man his fame. They, having loved something, do not prioritize food or rest over the increase of what their passion draws them to. But for you, activities for the public good seem less valuable and worthy of less exertion?"

“The problem isn’t making money per se,” he complained. “The problem is making it doing something worth devoting your life to.” —Carlos Ruiz Zafón, "The Shadow of the Wind"

"I believe you have both the will and the talent. Greater than you think but less than you desire. But many who have both the will and the talent never achieve anything. It’s only a starting point for achieving anything in life. Innate talent is like strength for an athlete. One can be born with greater or lesser abilities. But no one becomes an athlete simply because they are born tall, strong, or fast. What makes someone an athlete is work, practice, and technique.

Innate intelligence is merely ammunition. To use it effectively, you must transform your mind into a precise weapon." —Carlos Ruiz Zafón, "The Angel's Game"

"No, I do not like to work. I prefer to laze around and think about all the beautiful things that could be done. I do not like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work—the chance to find yourself, your own reality—for yourself, not for others—which no other man can know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell what it really means." —Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness"

"Most people spend the greater part of their lives working to live, and the little bit of freedom that remains to them fills them with such fear that they do their best to get rid of it as quickly as possible." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "The Sorrows of Young Werther"

Work is divided into physical (like construction or sports) and mental (like programming, learning, playing chess, planning, business, or philosophy). Some fields, of course, require both physical and mental labor, but one aspect always predominates, determining whether we classify it as physical or mental work. Art is an interesting case, as it requires both physical and mental activity. As we know, painting, sculpture, or acting require both physical and mental skills in equal measure.

Work is an essential aspect of human life because it provides money, allowing people to survive and function in society, satisfy lower and higher needs (see "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"), and develop their potential (self-realization). Work also fills people's time, and as we know, when people lack occupation, they fall into depression and other mental illnesses.

Work can also give meaning to a person's life, although this is not always the case. Work is a human good for the reasons mentioned above. Moreover, one can consider another aspect of work, namely its cultural aspect. Without work, neither culture nor civilization would have emerged. All human achievements require work, whether scientific and geographical discoveries, works of art, medical achievements, cosmological or philosophical theories. Work, therefore, is a field with many varieties but one goal: creation, whether of consumer products, works of art, or scientific theories.

Unfortunately, work does not always serve human good, as evidenced by the arms industry, which is used to wage wars and, ultimately, genocide. The consumer industry can also be associated with animal suffering and mass extermination (it is worth referring to Peter Singer's book "Animal Liberation," which describes the suffering human civilization causes other species).

Work serves not only as a means of earning but also as a crucial factor in human self-realization. It is impossible to imagine human life without work, which significantly contributes to a person's happiness and life opportunities.

Freedom, which is the highest value for a person, is impossible without a certain economic status. As we know, money provides opportunities not only in the sphere of consumption but also in terms of self-realization.

Work also ensures social order, without which there would likely be anarchy. Thus, work is crucial for humanity for many reasons, including the functioning of civilization and giving meaning and significance to human life.

Work is, therefore, the foundation of culture and society. However, work must be used wisely, not as an exploitation of individuals and a part of a totalitarian system, like labor camps.

Work has not only an economic aspect but also a moral one because, in a specific way, it gives meaning to human life, ennobles it, and makes a person have their place in the world.

Work, like everything in the world, can be used for good or evil. Therefore, work is both positive and negative, depending on its purpose. If it serves the functioning of society and the individual (gives it meaning, value, purpose), it is positive.

However, if work serves extermination, wars, or exploiting the natural environment, it is evil.