We tend to think of work as a creative force, but often it’s as or more destructive than it is creative.
In order for the builder to build you a bigger house, trees must be destroyed, and great quantities of ‘fossil fuels’ (ensuing pollution) must be extracted from the earth, to fuel the necessary implements.
The builders too must fuel their bodies with a greater intake of calories, so more animals must be slaughtered, and even more trees slain to make way for the expansion of agriculture.
Human beings, but in particular, much of the work they do, is responsible for extinction of thousands of species, and thousands of species will continue to die because of the work we do, until we’re all dead.
If we’re really serious about saving the planet, than I think doing away with the protestant work ethic and it’s more egoistic, hedonistic and materialistic offshoot, the secular work ethic, is paramount.
Individually, we should work a hell of a lot less, and, we should do work that is a hell of a lot less material and more artistic and philosophical in nature.
Collectively and politically, we should set up a system conducive to leisure, where everyone who can work, still has to, cause I think everyone should still pull their weight, just significantly less.
So much of the work we do merely benefits the upper caste, and is totally worthless, more a product of narcissism, envy, greed or paranoia about going hungry, than a product of necessity, or even real enjoyment, it’s just a 'keeping up with the Jones’s, mentality.
Unless you’re a miser, a cheapskate, than the more work you do, chances are the more of a hedonist and materialist you are, and such things used to be considered vices.
What’s virtuous is working moderately for your needs and the needs of whoever you’re responsible for, the further you go beyond that, the more selfish you are, the more of a glutton you are.
People should also be more selective with the sort of work they do, choose work that looks after peoples needs, instead of their desires.
Now what are some of the other negative consequences of workaholism, environmentally, but also on a personal level, our health, our families and so on?
And what counts for workaholism?
Perhaps the work week ought to be shortened to 20 hours, and anything over that ought to be defined as overtime/workaholism.