Lazy or Diligent
Should idleness still be considered a vice? A reminder on a few observations made by Bertrand Russell during the Great Depression
Eastern society is especially good at honouring and praising a persons labour or effort at the workplace and to brand as a vice any form of idleness.
Humanity has faced many periods of social and economic unrest, one of these presented itself as The Great Depression which began in the United States.
Almost a century from then we have faced a similar situation the Coronavirus pandemic and two of its first degree consequences. The first is the rise in unemployment due to job losses, while the second consequence has been more lenient, namely working from home. Both of these scenarios have one thing in common, extra time or leisure time to be more specific.
The British philosopher Bertrand Russel wrote in “In Praise of Idleness” during the peak of the Great Depression in 1932 that idleness will turn into an inevitable reality due to the increase in unemployment for millions of people. In making this remark, he also suggested that steps be taken not only to remedy the faulty economic machine but also to implement reforms for a more ethical approach to the working relationship of working people. Man is more than just labour.
Let’s dive into some of the advice about leisure and work ethics that Russell gave at that time and see how we can apply this to our scenario.
1.
“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 organized diminution of work” — In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell.
THEN: During that period the working class had little to no free time and even the idea of allowing periods of leisure apart from the ones of rest between working days was seen as unproductive by most employers. Although technology at that time had proven to aid man in his labour the same tech was not used to free up time but it was put to more use in increasing an organisation's profits.
NOW: For some of us the pandemic proved that our work can be done from the comfort of our households utilising proper tools. It basically took us a life-threatening event to maximize the utilisation of the computer in order to meet demands and adapt. This enhanced utilisation has reduced the time spent at work thus enabling more free time.
2.
“The wise use of leisure, it must be conceded, is a product of civilisation and education. A man who has worked long hours all his life will be bored if he becomes suddenly idle. But without a considerable amount of leisure, a man is cut off from many of the best things” — In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell.
THEN: At that time holidays were something frowned upon and was seen as a benefit for the wealthy, frankly the wealthy could not comprehend what the working classes could do with spare time, keeping them busy was beginning to feel like their duty in order to maintain social order.
NOW: Personally the extra time presented to me due to the working from home measure came as a shock, I was turning into the man used to long hours. Albeit following the initial period of boredom I began to flirt with one of my youthful pleasures, reading. I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of emerging into someone else past knowledge.
3.
“University life is so different from life in the world at large that men who live in an academic milieu tend to be unaware of the preoccupations and problems of ordinary men and women” — In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell.
THEN: According to Russell, universities in the past were focused only on providing the skills and knowledge in order to become a successful part of the working class with greater emphasis on those providing technical teachings.
NOW: Well to be frank the same still applies, technical universities are the ones sought out firstly while the ones with the humanistic profile are somehow of second-order when it comes to usefulness to society. A frightening similarity in my opinion that higher degree studies still prepare its students to only succeed as a member of the working class, we’ll discuss this another time.
4.
“Without the leisure class, mankind would have never emerged from barbarism” — In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell.
THEN: In past times there was a small leisure class supported by a large working class. The leisure class enjoyed advantages that the working class could not benefit from due to simply being too caught into the long hours. Having this advantage limited its sympathies and led it to invent theories to sustain and justify the privilege. However, it was this same advantage that led to the discovery of sciences, cultivation of arts, writing books, inventing philosophies, thus establishing civilisation.
NOW: We have the advantage of holidays, free time and leisure, the balance is not perfect but it can only be brought up through meaningful use of leisure.
5.
“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 a life of arduous struggle” — In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell.
For the last part of this paper, I’ll try to take your imagination on a trip to a few years in the future, notice I’ve abided myself from utilising the word “utopic” as this should be the norm of modern societies.
Picture this, ten even twenty years have passed from the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is in a state where working hours have been cut in half, it is now mandatory to work only 25 hours per week for a decent wage. Those with a scientific curiosity will be devoting free time towards improvements, artists will be able to perform in their respective fields without having to secure a second source of income, doctors will have extra time to study advancements in their fields. Happiness and joyful life will replace anxiety, stress, or depression. The work done will be enough in order to achieve a steady income and look after one's health.
The pain and suffering brought upon society by the coronavirus pandemic and combined with the reflections of what is really important have enabled us to utilize our tools and technologies towards more efficient and less time-consuming labour, we have rid ourselves of foolishness.
