AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
2min snip
Are You Free? How Work Relentlessly Eats Up Our Time
Intelligence Squared
Exploring the Relationship Between Work and Capitalism
The concept of work is not exclusive to capitalism, but the unique characteristic lies in wage labor, which is a foundational element of capitalism. Under capitalism, individuals engage in wage labor by working for an employer to earn income in exchange for their labor, contrasting the communal work for survival seen in pre-capitalist societies. While capitalism has enhanced productivity and reduced the amount of work needed for survival, it has introduced a social pressure to earn an income, leading to longer working hours. This pressure is not imposed by individual businesses but is a structural feature of the capitalist system, compelling businesses to push for extended work hours. To address this issue, a shift in focus from individual actions to systemic change is necessary.
00:00
Transcript
Episode notes
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode