Saved Papers

Save papers so you can find them more easily!

Join Now

Get instant access to over 100,000 papers.

Join Now!

Work, What Is It?

Work—What Is It?

Al Gini

Al Gini is a professor of philosophy at Loyola University of Chicago, a contributor to Chicago Public Radio, and associate editor of Business Ethics Quarterly. In this excerpt from his book My Job My Self, Gini explores the meaning of work in our society.

You can’t eat for eight hours a day, nor drink for eight hours a day—all you can do for eight hours is work. Which is the reason man makes himself and everybody so miserable and unhappy!
—William Faulkner

In perhaps the most poetic phrasing I have ever come across on the topic of work, Pope Pius XI said, “Man is born to labor, as a bird to fly.”1 More parochially, sociologist Peter Berger wrote “to be human and to work appear as inextricably intertwined notions.”2 The first sounds like a gift and a blessing; the other more like a report and a curse. The truth of the matter, I think, lies somewhere in between.
For most of us, working is an entirely nondiscretionary activity, an......


View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 7730
Approximate Pages: 31 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Why should you join Frat Files?

  • - It's safe, secure, and private.
  • - Instant access to over 100,000 papers. New papers are added hourly.
  • - Fast and reliable customer support.

Credit Card

PayPal

Bank Account

Similar Essays

  1. Work, What Is It?

    Work, what is it? Work-What Is It? Al Gini Al Gini is a professor of philosophy at Loyola University of Chicago, a contributor to Chicago Public Radio, and associate editor of

  2. Work Life Integration

    work life integration WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? And IS IT FEASIBLE? Introduction In today's fast pace competitive society, there is a significant underlying issue

  3. Work Preference Differences Between Bus Operators And Back Office...

    Work Preference Differences Between Bus Operators and Back Office Personnel of Miami Dade Transit Preface Special thanks to Dr. G Ronald Gilbert for allowing us to utilize the

  4. Work-Life Balance

    Work-Life Balance Work-Life Balance... A Case of Social Responsibility or Competitive Advantage? ď›™2002 Worklifebalance.com, Inc. Human Resources Dept, Dr. Parsons Georgia

  5. Work Ethic

    Work Ethic As a child we are raised to follow certain rules and regulations and are taught to behave according to our parents' morals and beliefs. The problem is when we become