Philosophy of Work Network Launch

The philosophy of work is a burgeoning area of academic inquiry. There are philosophers across the world contributing to it. The core idea with the creation of the Philosophy of Work Network is to have a virtual space for people doing research on the philosophy of work to meet, learn about each other’s scholarship, and organize common activities.

The Philosophy of Work Network is organized by Denise Celentano (Université de Montréal) and Pablo Gilabert (Concordia University).

The official launch will take place on March 15, during the first conference given by Michael Cholbi (University of Edinburgh): “Fit for beachcombers and workaholics alike: Productive pluralism as a post-work vision”.

Abstract: Fit for beachcombers and workaholics alike: Productive pluralism as a post-work vision.

The notion of ‘post-work’ has been ascendant in both popular and academic discourses, but there is not yet a consensus on the nature of post-work or a cataloguing of different social visions that might plausibly be labelled post-work. Here I articulate and defend my own ‘productive pluralism’ as an attractive post-work vision. Productive pluralism imagines social arrangements in which individuals can (if they wish) be largely free from work, particularly paid work, but also free to work (if they wish). This vision is post-work not in striving for the elimination of work altogether but for (a) the withering away of harmful work-centred norms and assumptions, (b) fostering or celebrating a wider array of relationships to the productive sphere than are validated under work-centred norms, and (c) liberating the goods of work from work’s current dominant place among means for satisfying basic material needs.

The talk will be online. More info see the event on the website of the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ)