Here's a link back to WLIT's October posting on the work ethic and the hacker ethic.
Speaking of the work ethic, Paolo Virno makes the following comment in an essay entitled, "The Ambivalence of Disenchantment."
"...in contrast to its position in the recent past, work no longer functions as a powerful surrogate for an objective ethical framework. It no longer takes the place of traditional forms of morality that have long since been emptied or dissolved."
Virno's statement is complex enough to warrant line by line scrutiny:
"...in contrast to its position in the recent past"
Here, not only is Virno making a contrast but he is also asserting that in the recent past work performed the function that it no longer does.
"no longer functions as a powerful surrogate for an objective ethical framework"
The function that work performed in the recent past was not to pose an ojective ethical framework but, in the form of the work ethic, to provide as a substitute for one.
"It no longer takes the place of traditional forms of morality that have long since been emptied or dissolved."
The passive tense of "have been emptied or dissolved" is ambiguous but the implication would seem to be that work, by offering a surrogate for traditional morality was responsible or complicit in that ethical dissolution.
Posted by sandwichman at January 22, 2005 11:06 AMA lot of retired people go through periods of feeling worthless. They need that fix, that magic illusion that work gives them a purpose in life. But they have nothing to turn to; so they die or go back to work, even if it's just a greeter job at wal mart.
The work ethic is alive and well, but it still, in the end, just bullshit, just the illusion that work is what it's all about. But if you believe, if you truly believe, then I guess you oughta go for it. Work 'til you drop dead. But I won't be there along side you. For me, life may very well all be self or other induced illusions about meaning. But that's ok. As long as I'm not serving the man from nine to five. That, in itself, has a kind of meaning for me.
If I'm feeling down, I guarantee you it's not because I'm not working.
Posted by: t at January 22, 2005 04:34 PMamen mr t
Posted by: r.cynic at January 23, 2005 07:08 AM