The Basis Of Culture: Servile Workers

This paper is asked to define “Work”. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary explains it as an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something: Labor. Something that needs to be done or accomplished: the labor task or duty that affords one his accustomed means of livelihood. In the book Leisure: The Basis of Culture the reader is led to believe that there are several different types of work. There is the servile work (p. 21); which I believe is manual labor. At one point in history that is what a slave was considered a servile worker. One who worked for their existence; to be able to continue to live. Then there is liberal arts (p. 21), which I have the impression that involves more of a mental kind of …show more content…
In Pieper’s book he tells us that work is good. That to be good is to be the best person you can be. To be regarded as being a virtuous person. At which time this is used as a measurement of a man. Whether he is a Godly man deserving a blessings or not deserving of a blessing. According to Toreau (p. 443) “God gave a man a certificate of righteousness which entitled him to food and raiment, but the rest were discontented and envied him.” The way I understand it because of this “righteousness” that was granted to man, they do not need to work unendingly. He (man) only needs to work when he feels the need. Thoreau only worked when he had to. To only replace things he could not make himself. The two have very different views on philanthropy also; Thoreau believes that it is very “overrated”. He believed that all it consisted of is the left overs of things he had. All the philanthropist is doing is just making his self look good to others. He is not necessarily giving without regard to what is needed but what he has extra. Whereas Pieper has a more philosophical answer; we look on page 111 Pieper says “to see things differently, but because, quite suddenly, things themselves assume a different aspect”. This I take it to mean if we look closely at the actions of others, we will see their true reason of doing them. Whether it is Gods will or not things happen for reasons beyond our control. Philanthropy is one of …show more content…
One, Pieper is a very religious man in a structured way. Thoreau was religious to a point also. I do not believe he was into an organized church for lessons on the aspect of religion. Thoreau basically shunned groups of any sort. Whether it is on a town street or in a local church Thoreau did not like to be around a lot of people. I think that he was self-taught about religion, that he had very little formal teachings on the subject of religion, because of the antisocial attitude. It appears that he did read the Bible and did not always agree with it. Despite that fact, he tried to his live life as best he could and to be a good man. Thoreau very seldom made reference to God in his writings. Whereas, Pieper was an educated cleric, he therefore believed that God was everything and everywhere. Almost all of the words he defines in his book are led back to God in the definitions. Pieper has said “that a man saying prayers before he sleeps will sleep better” (p. 50). No one really knows if that is true or not, I suspect that there is more truth in that statement than not. Do we realize that theory when we pray at night? I do not think so; the act of praying on my part helps me to be more at peace afterward and able to sleep better. In truth I never really thought about the connection. It does make sense