我们为什么工作?

Hi, I’m Rebecca Chan, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at 圣何塞州立大学! I love thinking about different philosophical issues, and today I want to invite y’all to think through 一个 that I’ve been thinking about since I was a child: 我们为什么要工作? 

To help 你 on this journey, I’ve prepared a series of activities, short lecture videos, 还有一个精心策划的阅读清单. In the end, I don’t promise that we’ll arrive at a definitive 回答我们的问题. 这在很大程度上取决于你! However, I do promise that 你’ll have the resources to achieve the following objectives of this module--and think more deeply about the question of why we 工作.

学习目标

1. 反思我们为什么工作.
2. Understand the philosophical frame工作 from which 一个 asks the question of why we 工作. 
3. Assess three different answers to the question. 
4. 什么都不做.
5. Critically re-evaluate the question of why we 工作 and analyze whether our 实际 practices align with that answer.

• 反映

  • Pre-activity discussion: 我们为什么要工作?

    回答以下问题: 

    1. 你工作吗?? If so, 什么 do 你 currently do for 工作? 
    2. 为什么 do 你 do 什么 你 currently do for 工作? (Or if 你 currently don’t 工作, why?)
    3. Is there something 你 would prefer to 你r current 工作? 如果没有什么你会 prefer to 你r current 工作, then consider whether there’s anything 你 would 就像 同样地. 为什么? (“Not 工作ing” also counts as a legitimate answer!)
• 看

  •  我们为什么要工作?

    第1部分

     

    第2部分

     

    第3部分

     

    我们为什么要工作幻灯片(链接在这里[pptx])

• 什么都不做

  • This may seem strange, but 你r first assignment is to engage in niksen [在此下载][pdf] 什么也不做. Turn off 你r devices, step away from distractions, and just take time to be al一个 with 你r thoughts. You can clear 你r mind, meditate, or just daydream.

• 探索

  • 至少读一本. 请随意阅读更多内容.

    论职业倦怠文化

    - Peterson - How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation (23 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

    - Vox Interview with Anne Helen Peterson (11 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

     

    什么都不做

    - Mecking - The Case for Doing Nothing - The New York Times (3 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

     

    关于为钱而工作

    - Brennan - 为什么 It's OK to Want to Be Rich - Ch2 - For Love of M一个y (22 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

     

    关于为休闲而工作

    - Gutting - What Work Is Really For (4 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

     

    On Working for Happiness and Meaning

    - Peppercorn - 为什么 You Should Stop Pretending to Be Happy at Work (5 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

    - Darr - The New Workplace - Where Meaning and Purpose Are More Important Than Ever (6页) [阅读文章][pdf]

     

    On Working for the Societal Good

    - Sandel - Contributive Justice and the Dignity of Work (12 pages) [阅读文章][pdf]

• 反映

  • 回答以下问题: 

    1. 你读了什么?? What was the main point of the reading(s)?
    2. How did the reading connect with 你r views on 工作? Did it challenge them, reinforce 他们，让你重新考虑，等等?
    3. 你为什么工作?? (如果你不喜欢，为什么?)
    4. 给出c的答案 什么 你为工作而做， 有多少 你工作，你的 的态度 对工作的 
• 行为

  • Now it's time to think about the big picture! Take the following steps, which culminate 在行动项中. Jot down notes on 你r answer to the brainstorming steps if 你'd 就像. What 你'll submit is the action item. 

    第一步:头脑风暴. 1. You've spent time thinking about why 你 工作. It may be the case that in thinking about that question, 你 noticed a mismatch 在你的 实际 回答你为什么工作和你的 理想的 回答你为什么工作.  (E.g., perhaps 就像 Sandel, 你 think that 工作 is about contributing to society but 你 don't take 你r 工作 to contribute anything.有吗? a mismatch 在你的 实际 and 理想的 answer? If not, can 你 think of a scenario 一个人可能在其中发展? 

    第二步:头脑风暴. 2. Use 什么 你 said above to consider whether other people experience a mismatch between the 实际 and 理想的 answer to the question of why we 工作. 这种不匹配有多普遍? Do structural features of our society make the mismatch (un)就像ly?

    第三步:头脑风暴. 3. How big of a problem is the mismatch? In addition to thinking about 有多少 the mismatch affects 你r individual welfare, think about 有多少 the mismatch affects the welfare 作为一个整体的社会. 

    第四步:头脑风暴. 4. Who is best placed to do something about the mismatch? 如果政府发生变化 一个特定的政策? Should large corporations rethink their relationships with employees or change their corporate structure and goals? Do 工作ers need to jointly act, perhaps 通过组建强大的工会? Do individuals need to fundamentally change their behavior with respect to 工作 (and is it realistic for them to do so)? 

    5 .行动. Given 你r answers to the above questions, 你're going to urge action (e.g.，更短的 工作 week, a higher minimum wage, a universal basic income, etc.). 你会接触 whoever 你 think is best placed to do something about the mismatch (e.g.立法委员; a corporation, fellow 工作ers) and urge them to act. 你可以通过 any modality that 你 believe will be effective in conveying 你r call to action (e.g., a letter, a series of tweets, an op ed, an open letter, etc.). 除了打电话 for the particular action, be sure to explain the rationale behind it. 

• 反映

  • Briefly discuss 什么 你've learned from this module. This is intended to be open-ended, and 你 can include any of the following: 

    - Answers to "我们为什么要工作" that 你 found new, interesting, or compelling

    - Whether or why 你r views on 工作 have evolved

    - What 你r action was and whether 你 will send out 什么 你 wrote IRL

    - How 你 would advise a 你ng person who has yet to start 工作ing

    Hopefully, each of 你 has learned something worthwhile, and will perhaps learn a bit more from 你r fellow participants through this last discussion!