labor, work + action (1/...)

thoughts tangenting from the philosophies of hannah arendt, an introduction with definitions:

“the human condition of Labor is life itself.”

the term 'labor' brings up many connotations, ranging from exhaustive working conditions to a ‘labor of love’. forget all that for a minute. within the bindings of this essay, it shall be taken to reference, when capitalized: the efforts taken to stay alive, both individually and as a species. by this very definition, each outcome of Labor is consumable and does not live on past its point of use or survive beyond the Laborer’s lifetime. modern society is built upon the shoulders of millions of creations, inventions, and ideas that progressed humanity toward what it might become: this is an edifice that sets homo sapiens apart from the in-the-moment life lived by the rest of the animal kingdom. none of these are examples of Labor. Labor does not add to the entity of human history. Labor takes things back to the building blocks of existence.

the very basics of life can include food, hydration, some sort of living accommodations, sanitary disposal of bodily waste, and the recovery from sickness/injuries. it is, in this most basic understanding, “that which we undertake out of biological necessity.” (Human Condition intro XV) existence is directly tied to its completion: neglecting or failing at Laborious duties carries the fight or flight psychological response of a cortisol release in the brain.

if Labor is that which is done out of biological necessity, then it is not too extreme of a philosophical leap to view a capitalistic 8-5 job as fitting this categorical definition. from the individual perspective, the average person living within these systems, going a short period without income means a loss of home, healthcare, access to clean water, and in many cases even sanitary restrooms. this is especially true in the modern urban landscapes. coupled with this is, from the outcomes perspective, that most jobs within late stage capitalism are not creating items or experiences that will exist beyond the short term; “under modern conditions, not destruction but conservation spells ruin because the very durability of conserved objects is the greatest impediment to the turnover process.” (Human Condition 253, emphasis mine) what this means is that gdp, revenues, and stock prices - the vital signs of late stage capitalism - are positively affected by the disposability, or consumption, of production. by both aspects of the definition, then, current jobs are overwhelmingly welcomed under the Arendtian category of Labor - necessary for day-t0-day existence and quickly consumed.

“The human condition of Work is worldliness.”

when we Work, we create a lasting product beyond that which is absolutely necessary. the destination of pilgrimages, the books studied in a classical education, and the dining room set passed down generations all constitute human Work.

none of these were constructed simply to stay alive, but were birthed from an excitement for life. the parthenon need not exist, however athenian culture from almost two and a half millennia ago valued something highly enough to dedicate true intention to its construction. leo tolstoy was able to exist beyond generational fame by moving past the writing that was economically fortunate and diving into topics that challenged the status quo in a way that might change the landscape of thought. the food created by the chefs of the french laundry are consumed, but the experience and memories live on well beyond the end of the meal - this is also Work. Work creates the nondisposable culture that “stabilizes human life” (HC 137) through the outliving of one's current context.

Work has the potential to provide meaning and purpose to a human’s existence. unlike Labor, which never reaches a stopping point, Work exists with an end goal in mind. time spent in its throes does not increase anxiety because a roadmap may be constructed to follow: it lacks dependence on temperamental bosses, hunger, or shifts in the market. many individuals under capitalism have found Work to fulfill their needs as human beings; their lives serve as the groundwork for what creating purpose looks like.

“Plurality is the condition of human Action.”

Action exists within the confines of society building. It moves beyond the day-to-day automatic actions of rising, doing things, and returning to rest; it is “to think what we are doing.” (Human Condition 5) Action is the communal entering of the public realm + working together through word and movement to continuously choose and pivot towards the destination deemed best for the community. “the art of (Action) teaches (humans) how to bring forth what is great and radiant.” (HC 206)

the scale of Action within a society runs from low - a totalitarian or technocratic rule where decisions are made about a community’s existence far from its borders or conversations - to high - an egalitarian or anarcho-communist system that makes all decisions on the ground floor in immediate response to the situations of most importance to a community. late stage capitalism partakes in Action at a very low frequency, conversing on 3-4 topics every two years in order to elect those who will actually take part in the politics of Action; they then often have their hands tied by the 3-4 individuals that have risen to the top of the representative hierarchy. this is a charade perpetuated by those who seek to distance Action far from the objects (us, all the randos of the world) of its outcomes. within Action arises power. hierarchies stratify this power and move towards rule from above that promises the negative freedom to not have to worry about the problems that plague our existence. hierarchical Action-intensive societies leave decision making with the purported experts. this series of essays seek to question and eventually remove this barrier of ignorance + introduce the positive freedom for Action to be communally involved in a high energy way.

Labor, Work, and Action have historically been stratified depending on class born or migrated into. a strict division of those roles within the community further separates neighbors from each other. these roles are not just different in their scope, but also historically the respect + compensation associated with each is tiered. by including all members in each of the aspects of the human experience, hierarchies may be stymied and overall human happiness can correlarily increase.

the breakdown in modern society is roughly 90% Labor driven - those who wake up, grind away at their respective jobs. irrespective of whether they enjoy these positions or if they might be well paying, it is still Labor. after leaving their jobs for the day, they enjoy their own individual time to the best of their abilities, with whatever physical and mental bandwidth are left. Labor is not bad and not something that should be avoided, however it must be recognized that it is different from Work + Action. Work is able to be the focus for about 9% of modern society. it is the entrepreneurs and artists who are able to step away from the here and now perspective of Laboring. Action is only truly executed by the remaining 1% of society. those in Action roles are able to extend themselves to Work or Labor, but that does not mean that those in Work or Labor can make the jump to Action or those in Labor participate in Work. there are semipermeable membranes that most of us are on the wrong side of.

those mired in Labor are there by necessity: an education system nurturing the submission to authority and lacking in the equipment of Work and Action skills + abilities, coupled in with an economic system that is difficult to escape. those caught up in Work, upon reaching this slightly higher echelon generally seek to insulate themselves from the day to day bustle of survival, and are therefore likely to lose touch with the reality of existence and all that it means to be human; they have often been more well endowed in their opportunities for living within the modern system, but they - along with Laborers - lack the ability to control the context within which they navigate. those involved in Action decide the direction society will take; context control is where power comes from. They can choose to dip their toes in Work or Labor, but they oftentimes do not need to because they create rules and standards that best suit their needs.

the purpose of this this series, and my essays in general, isn’t to make each of these categories more “human” as socialism would through unionization, or as true anarchy would through the removal of concrete Action positions, but rather to equalize the situation by evening out everyone’s categorical involvement, which will be good for both the individual and the society.

...to be continued in part 2.