Russell seems to be in conflict with individuals that are at the top of the economic ladder. Despite the effort of the rich to consume more—their yachts sit mostly unused—many things are produced that are not needed, and many people are unemployed. Originally any surplus was taken forcefully from the peasants by warriors and priests, but gradually laborers were induced to believe that hard work was their duty, even though it supported the idleness of others. 0:00 – Intro to the discussion on In Praise of Idleness. Good nature is, of all moral qualities, the one that the world needs most, and good nature is the result of ease and security, not of a life of arduous struggle. This is consistent with what Russell is saying. CHAPTER VII The Case for Socialism. Yet that leisure class. Sometimes this is true; Athenian slave-owners, for instance, employed part of their leisure in making a permanent contribution to civilization which would have been impossible under a just economic system. In the eponymous essay, Russell argues that if labour was equitably shared out amongst everyone, resulting in shorter work days, unemployment would decrease and human happiness would increase due to the increase in leisure time, further resulting in increased involvement in the arts and sciences. It explains why Bertrand Russell is not agreed on Fascism or communism. “In Praise of Idleness” (henceforth IPI) is a short essay about “work and leisure” by Bertrand Russell, who was one of the most famous philosophers in the world. Since he was a virtuous child, he believed what he was told, and acquired a conscience that made him industrious, even when he was older. The key philosophical idea for Russell is that physical labor, while sometimes necessary, is not the purpose of life. Paul Western believes that ‘idleness’ is still not valued highly enough. SHORT SUMMARY & CRITICAL APPRECIATION This book contains the essays on such aspects of social questions as are ignored in clash of politics. I hope that, after reading the following pages, the leaders of the Y.M.C.A. “In Praise of Idleness” (1932), Bertrand Russell claims that leisure has a negative impact on our society and is avoidable because of the modern technology we have today. Since men will not be tired in their spare time, they will not demand only such amusements as are passive and vapid. Your email address will not be published. Being a highly virtuous child, I believed all that I was told, and acquired a conscience which has kept me working hard down to the present moment. I think that there is far too much work done in the world, [and] that immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous …. The rich praise honest toil, the simple life, motherhood, and domesticity because the ruling class wants to hoard their political power and leisure time. This article about a philosophy-related book is a stub. In New Praise of Idleness – Review of Bertrand Russell’s ‘In Praise of Idleness’ “I think that there is far too much work done in the world, that immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous” - Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell would have loved the coronavirus – he would have loved the pain that we are all feeling. In Praise of Idleness Adjust Share By Bertrand Russell, L IKE most of my generation, I was brought up on the saying “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” Being a highly virtuous child, I believed all that I was told and acquired a conscience which has kept me working hard down to the present moment. First, because the rich preach that work is dignified in order to keep the workers content. The wise use of leisure leads to the best things in life. Instead Russell advocates for a world where no one is compelled to work more, but allowed to indulge their scientific, aesthetic, or literary tastes, or their interest in law, medicine, government, or any other interest. Required fields are marked *. I like reading the works of Bertrand Russell. He also believes that the preference of many people for passive rather than active pursuits reflects the fact that they are exhausted from too much work. Liked it? The notion of leisure has changed a lot with the continuity of humankind. And, considering how much we hate capitalists, many of us still choose to work for one instead of finding and working for our own customers. “IN PRAISE OF IDLENESS” BY BERTRAND RUSSELL. But we can't be great at everything and unfortunately, "In Praise of Idleness" highlights Dr. Russell's naivete when it comes to social and political commentary. And, as in this blog, work that serves others. At least one percent will probably devote the time not spent in professional work to pursuits of some public importance, and, since they will not depend upon these pursuits for their livelihood, their originality will be unhampered, and there will be no need to conform to the standards set by elderly pundits. The class might produce one Darwin, but against him had to be set tens of thousands of country gentlemen who never thought of anything more intelligent than fox-hunting and punishing poachers. Moreover, recent research shows that more money is not what people want from work—people want autonomy, mastery, and purpose in their pursuits. In Praise of Idleness challenges this piece of common wisdom. Subscribe to ReasonandMeaning and receive notifications of new posts by email. In Praise of Idleness: Bertrand Russell on the Relationship Between Leisure and Social Justice “Good nature is, of all moral qualities, the one that the world needs most, and good nature is the result of ease and security, not of a life of arduous struggle.” By Maria Popova Those who are currently unemployed would have jobs and those who currently work too hard would have more leisure. Historically, Russell says, the small leisure class has enjoyed unjust advantages, and they have oppressed others. He is a crisp and thoughtful writer, and a penetrating and skilled philosopher. Show More. This essay shows a different perspective of work unlike the common idea of it. The work exacted will be enough to make leisure delightful, but not enough to produce exhaustion. But, this notion, it was always there with us. In praise of Idleness: Strategic goofing-off for enhanced productivity = "Athenian slave-owners...employed part of their leisure in making a permanent contribution to civilization which would have been impossible under a just economic system. In fact he has been taught to think that hard toil is what God likes. There is thus no good reason why most people should be deprived of it, and “only a foolish asceticism … makes us continue to insist on work in excessive quantities now that the need no longer exists.”, In the next few paragraphs Russell argues that in most societies the governing classes have always preached about the virtues of hard work. on In Praise of Idleness Summary (8/10) Bertrand Russell was part of a generation that was brought up on the saying: ‘Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do.’. This is what he called “the morality of the Slave State …” He illustrates with a thought experiment. The popular view is that work is intrinsically good and that everyone should aim for productivity. Open source code, Wikipedia, my own little blog and millions like them all attest to the desire of people to express themselves through their labor. In 1932, at age 60, my exact age as I write this post, Bertrand Russell penned a provocative essay, “In Praise of Idleness.” Russell begins, … I was brought up on the saying: ‘Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do.’ Being a highly virtuous child, I believed all that I was told, and acquired a conscience which has kept me working hard down to the present moment. But “what will happen when the point has been reached where everybody could be comfortable without working long hours?”, Russell argues that what has happened in the West is that the rich simply grab more of what is produced and amass more leisure time—many don’t even work at all. When I was a child … certain public holidays were established by law, to the great indignation of the upper classes. In England, in the early nineteenth century, fifteen hours was the ordinary day’s work for a man; children sometimes did as much, and very commonly did twelve hours a day. Russell saw that 1930s technology was already making more leisure time possible. The method of a leisure class without duties was, however, extraordinarily wasteful … and the class as a whole was not exceptionally intelligent. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. It shows the dangers of too much organization in thought and action. But this is the only sense in which there is a duty to work. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Suppose that a plant manufactures employs a certain number of people who work 8 hours a day and produce all the pins the world needs. Second, because we take a certain delight in how technology transforms the world. Work that may not be paid but work that gives us joy. For all of human history until the Industrial Revolution, an individual could produce little more than was necessary for subsistence. Hitherto we have continued to be as energetic as we were before there were machines; in this we have been foolish, but there is no reason to go on being foolish forever. Why then do we so value work? In the first essay, In Praise of Idleness, he argues that if people were to work only four hours a day instead of eight, everyone would be happier, healthier, more productive members of society, and we would eradicate unemployment. Bertrand Russell The Value Of Philosophy Analysis. Russell notes that the rich have always despised the idea of the poor having leisure time. In Praise of Idleness Posted on June 5, 2012 by brucedawson “I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of WORK, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organised diminution of work.” 1 Thanks for the great comments. Yet society had not changed in the sense that it was still a place where some work long hours, while others are unemployed. What will be the result of all this?