Philosophy of Work with Joshua Preiss

As part of the activities of the Philosophy of Work Network, Joshua Preiss (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) will offer a presentation entitled: “The Moral and Political Importance of Good Jobs”. To attend the talk, click here.

The activities of the Philosophy of Work Network are open to researchers and graduate students with research interests in this area. They are organized by Denise Celentano (denise.celentano@umontreal.ca) and Pablo Gilabert (pablo.gilabert@concordia.ca).

Abstract: This paper connects the political, business, and policy discourse on good jobs with recent philosophy of work, bringing philosophical analysis to bear on a defining moral and political challenge for our time. My teleological account of good jobs provides a normative lens for understanding the economic transformations of wealthy democratic societies the past half century, the crisis of liberal democracy that has resulted from these transformations, and what, at minimum, needs to be done about it. Good jobs, on this account, enable workers to cross a context-relevant threshold of compensation, status, and power. In addition, I argue that a focus on good jobs does not entail fetishizing paid work or endorsing the proliferation of so-called bullshit jobs (despite the fact that the later often provide significant compensation, status, and power). Even those who envision a future with little to no paid labor can recognize a basic moral and political imperative: restoring the promise that through hard work people can build a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. Good jobs provide the fuel for democratic norms and institutions and give ordinary workers the power they’ll need to secure a free and inclusively prosperous future with less paid work.