In this engaging discussion, Elizabeth Anderson, a renowned professor from the University of Michigan, dives deep into the evolution of the work ethic from a moral principle to a tool for social control. She examines how historical figures like Malthus influenced damaging views on poverty and labor. The conversation highlights the stark contrast between work as a source of dignity versus a means of discipline. Anderson also reveals the dark legacy of the Irish Potato Famine, tracing its connections to contemporary welfare policies and societal attitudes toward the poor.
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insights INSIGHT
Work Ethic Divergence: Progressives vs Conservatives
Progressive thinkers focused on improving workers' lives and providing decent wages as motivation to work.
Conservatives viewed the poor as naturally lazy, blaming welfare for encouraging idleness.
insights INSIGHT
Incentives vs Class Dispositions
Progressives believe all people respond similarly to incentives and want to work if rewarded fairly.
Conservatives thought low wages were necessary to keep poor people working, assuming inherent laziness.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Irish Peasantry and Potato Farming
Irish peasants lived on small plots growing potatoes, which supplied a near-complete diet with little labor.
This system produced desperate, poor peasants heavily in debt, limiting their incentive to work hard.
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Elizabeth Anderson's "Hijacked" delves into the complexities of meritocracy and its impact on social justice. Anderson meticulously dissects the historical and philosophical underpinnings of meritocratic ideals, revealing their inherent contradictions and unintended consequences. She challenges the prevailing notion of individual deservingness, arguing that societal structures and historical inequalities significantly shape individual outcomes. The book offers a compelling critique of the dominant narrative surrounding meritocracy, exposing its role in perpetuating injustice and inequality. Anderson's work provides a framework for understanding how meritocratic systems often fail to deliver on their promises of fairness and efficiency.
An Essay on the Principle of Population
Or a View of Its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness
Thomas Robert Malthus
In this seminal work, Malthus explores the dynamics between population growth and subsistence. He posits that population increases at a geometric rate, while food production can only increase arithmetically, leading to natural checks such as famine, disease, and vice. The essay discusses the implications of these ideas on societal improvement and human existence, emphasizing the necessity of understanding population dynamics for meaningful discourse on societal advancement. Malthus also details preventive and positive checks on population, such as birth control and higher mortality rates, and their effects on economic stability and human well-being.
Principles of Political Economy
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Carl Menger
Carl Mengers "Grundsätze der Volkswirtschaftslehre" markieren den Beginn der Österreichischen Schule der Nationalökonomie. Menger entwickelte eine subjektive Wertlehre, die den Wert von Gütern von der individuellen Nachfrage ableitet, im Gegensatz zu den klassischen Theorien, die den Wert auf die Produktionskosten stützten. Das Buch legte die Grundlage für die Weiterentwicklung der Österreichischen Schule durch Ökonomen wie Böhm-Bawerk und Mises. Mengers Werk ist ein Meilenstein in der Geschichte der Wirtschaftswissenschaften und beeinflusst bis heute die wirtschaftspolitische Debatte. Seine Analyse der Entstehung von Märkten und Preisen ist von bleibender Bedeutung.
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
Published in 1776, 'The Wealth of Nations' is Adam Smith's magnum opus that laid the groundwork for modern economics. The book critiques mercantilist economic theories and introduces the concept of the 'invisible hand,' which describes how individual self-interest leads to societal benefit. It emphasizes the division of labor, the accumulation of capital, and the importance of free markets. Smith argues that a nation's wealth is not measured by its gold and silver reserves but by the stream of goods and services it produces. The book also outlines the core functions of government, such as maintaining defense, enforcing civil law, and promoting education, while advocating for limited government intervention in market activities.
The work ethic began as a religious principle before evolving into an economic theory. But by the 18th and 19th centuries, it had taken on a new role: a justification for social inequality. Thinkers like Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill saw work as a path to dignity and opportunity, while economists like Thomas Malthus and Nassau Senior argued that keeping wages low and limiting aid would encourage self-reliance. This perspective had real consequences, especially during the Irish Potato Famine, when relief efforts were deliberately restricted under the belief that hardship would force people to work. In Part 2 of this series, Elizabeth and Dart explore how the work ethic shifted from a moral belief to an economic tool.
Elizabeth Anderson is a political philosopher known for her work on democracy, economic justice, and the ethics of work. Her latest book, Hijacked, explores how the work ethic was distorted by neoliberalism to undermine workers and how it can be reclaimed to support fairness and dignity in the workplace.
In this episode, Dart and Elizabeth discuss: - How the work ethic became a tool for control - Work as dignity vs. work as discipline - The idea that poverty keeps workers in line - The fear of rising wages and worker power - The Irish Potato Famine as a test of forced labor policies - How unemployment became a moral failure - Reclaiming work as a source of empowerment - And other topics...
Professor Elizabeth Anderson specializes in moral and political philosophy, feminist theory, social epistemology, and the philosophy of economics. She holds the positions of Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women's & Gender Studies, and Max Shaye Professor of Public Philosophy at the University of Michigan. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Elizabeth has written extensively on democracy, labor, and economic justice, including her latest book, Hijacked: How Neoliberalism Turned the Work Ethic Against Workers and How Workers Can Take It Back.
Work with Dart: Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.
Work For Humans 
