Bob Black's landmark essay, The Abolition of Work, for those who haven't read it yet - or haven't read it recently.
I could be wrong, but I really can't see Diogenes or Zhuangzi reacting with anything but an approving grin. Laozi, being a somewhat more serious sort, might find a few things to nitpick, but I can't see him hating it, either. In my view, no one who has much comprehension of either cynicism or Taoism would be overly attached to their alarm clocks.
And, for those in the mood for more, here is my own essay on the subject. It's no match for Black's groundbreaking piece, but I like to think it offers some insight to those already questioning the "work ethic."
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ReplyDelete...it is my contention that capitalism is an economic system with inherently Orwellian properties. It purports to advance the common good while disregarding the common man. It celebrates individuality while demanding conformity. It promises freedom and delivers chains. By willingly participating in our own pro-work consumerist indoctrination, we sell our freedom to the merchants of greed and avarice, who are betting their own self-interested enrichment on our willingness to make the transaction. In most cases, it may be impractical to "opt-out" and totally reject employment for the sake of principle. But, if nothing else, we can at least be aware of the real reasons why we work so hard, the real nature of freedom, and the contradiction between the two.
it has often been said of (adulterous?) sex that 'the chase is better than the catch' which disguises for a sense of diminishing returns. I suspect that with the paradoxes you point out about work, e.g. the hierarchy that says it is an open meritocracy but which reinforces itself through mis-description, then one could say of jobs that applying for then is better than getting them. But the catch still has to appear to be real for the chase to be worth doing.