THE VALUE OF WORK IN NIGERIA with Reference to Laborem Exercens Aloysius Cheta CHIKEZIE Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: The Meaning of Work 1.1.What is Work? ...................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2. Labour and work................................................................................................................................ 10 1.3. Work through the Ages ..................................................................................................................... 12 1.3.1. The Greeks...................................................................................................................................... 12 1.3.2. Attitude to work in the time of Homer ........................................................................................... 12 1.3.2.1. Work rooted in cultural life ......................................................................................................... 13 1.3.2.2. Household and division of labour ................................................................................................ 15 1.3.2.3. Work Incentives ........................................................................................................................... 17 1.3.3. Classic Greeks ................................................................................................................................ 17 1.3.3.1. Attitude to work in the time of Aristotle ..................................................................................... 18 1.3.3.1.1. Aristotle on Slavery .................................................................................................................. 21 1.3.3.1.2. Slavery by Nature ..................................................................................................................... 22 1.3.4. Hellenistic Greece .......................................................................................................................... 26 1.3.5. Romans ........................................................................................................................................... 26 1.3.6. The Hebrews attitude to work ........................................................................................................ 29 1.3.7. The Christian attitude to work ........................................................................................................ 31 1.3.8. The Early Catholicism and attitude to work ................................................................................... 32 1.3.9. Attitude to work in the Middle Ages .............................................................................................. 33 1.3.10. Attitude to work in the Modern Period ......................................................................................... 34 1.3.10.1. Luther and Calvin ...................................................................................................................... 34 1.3.10.2. Work as presented by Thomas Hobbes ..................................................................................... 37 1.3.10.3. Work as presented by John Locke ............................................................................................ 39 1.3.11. Modern Period: The 19th Century Concept of work ..................................................................... 53 1.3.11.1. Impact of Industrial Revolution on work .................................................................................. 53 1.3.11.2. Technology and work ................................................................................................................ 55 1.3.11.3. Karl Marx .................................................................................................................................. 56 1.3.11.3.1. On Alienation of Labour......................................................................................................... 61 1.3.11.4. Positive Effects of Technology ................................................................................................. 69 1.3.11.5. Negative Effects of Technology ............................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER TWO: Work in the Modern Period: 20th Century 2.1. The Unique role by John Paul II............................................................................................................ 73 2.1.1. The shaping of Karol Wojtyla’s thought on Work: Theory of Participation ...................................... 74 2.1.2. The Person and Community ............................................................................................................... 75 2.1.3. The Acting Person as an inter-subjective Person ............................................................................... 77 2.1.4. Karol Wojtyla on Evil of Alienation .................................................................................................. 78 2.1.5. Individualism a system that foster Alienation .................................................................................... 80 2.1.6. Totalism a system that encourages Alienation ................................................................................... 81 2.1.7. Karol Wojtyla’s Theory of Participation ............................................................................................ 82 2.2. Personalism ........................................................................................................................................... 84 2.3. The Principle of personality .................................................................................................................. 84 2.4. The Transcendental Nature of Man ....................................................................................................... 85 2.5. Man a Free and Responsible Being ....................................................................................................... 85 2.6. A Being born to work ............................................................................................................................ 87 2.7. A Being called to work .......................................................................................................................... 90 2.8. Why is work meaningful? ..................................................................................................................... 93 2.9. Humanization of Work .......................................................................................................................... 93 2.10. Ways of giving work a more Human Face .......................................................................................... 95 2.10.1. The Role of Government .................................................................................................................. 98 2.10.2. On the part of Workers ..................................................................................................................... 98 2.10.3. On the part of Employers ................................................................................................................. 98 2.10.4. The Role of International Labour Organization ............................................................................... 99 2.10.5. The Role to be played by the Church ............................................................................................. 99 2.11. Self-Fulfilment and Self-Realization according to Karol Wojtyla .................................................... 100 2.11.1. What is Happiness? ........................................................................................................................ 101 2.11.2. Happiness and Participation ........................................................................................................... 103 2.11.3. Happiness and Work ...................................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER THREE: The Necessity and Right to Work 3.1. Why do people work? .......................................................................................................................... 106 3.2. Work as a means of livelihood and Existence ..................................................................................... 109 3.3. Work adds meaning to human Existence on Earth .............................................................................. 111 3.4. Who then has Right to work? .............................................................................................................. 113 3.5. Work and Family ................................................................................................................................. 114 3.6. Should Women be involved in Active work? ...................................................................................... 116 3.7. What then is the Role of children in Work? ........................................................................................ 119 3.8. Should there be work also for the handicapped? ................................................................................. 119 3.9. The Effects of Emigration on work. ...................................................................................................