the-worker-as-creator-or-machine

第二册lesson8TheWorkerasCreatororMachineTheWorkerasCreatororMachineErichFromm--------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Unlessmanexploitsothers,hehastoworkinordertolive.Howeverprimitiveandsimplehismethodofworkmaybe,bytheveryfactofproduction,hehasrisenabovetheanimalkingdom;rightlyhashebeendefinedastheanimalthatproduces.Butworkisnotonlyaninescapablenecessityforman.Workisalsohisliberatorfromnature,hiscreatorasasocialandindependentbeing.Intheprocessofwork,thatis,themoldingandchangingofnatureoutsideofhimself,manmoldsandchangeshimself.Heemergesfromnaturebymasteringher;hedevelopshispowersofco-operation,ofreason,hissenseofbeauty.Heseparateshimselffromnature,fromtheoriginalunitywithher,butatthesametimeuniteshimselfwithheragainashermasterandbuilder.Themorehisworkdevelops,themorehisindividualitydevelops.Inmoldingnatureandre-creatingher,helearnstomakeuseofhispowers,increasinghisskillandcreativeness.WhetherwethinkofthebeautifulpaintingsinthecavesofSouthernFrance,theornamentsonweaponsamongprimitivepeople,thestatuesandtemplesofGreece,thecathedralsoftheMiddleAges,thechairsandtablesmadebyskilledcraftsmen,orthecultivationofflowers,treesorcornbypeasants--allareexpressionsofthecreativetransformationofnaturebyman'sreasonandskill.2InWesternhistory,craftsmanship,especiallyasitdevelopedinthethirteenthandfourteenthcenturies,constitutesoneofthepeaksintheevolutionofcreativework.Workwasnotonlyausefulactivity,butonewhichcarriedwithitaprofoundsatisfaction.ThemainfeaturesofcraftsmanshiphavebeenverylucidlyexpressedbyC.W.Mills.Thereisnoulteriormotiveinworkotherthantheproductbeingmadeandtheprocessesofitscreation.Thedetailsofdallyworkaremeaningfulbecausetheyarenotdetachedintheworker'smindfromtheproductofthework.Theworkerisfreetocontrolhisownworkingaction.Thecraftsmanisthusabletolearnfromhiswork;andtouseanddevelophiscapacitiesandskillsinitsprosecution.Thereisnosplitofworkandplay,orworkandculture.Thecraftsman'swayoflivelihooddeterminesandinfuseshisentiremodeofliving.33Withthecollapseofthemedievalstructure,andthebeginningofthemodernmodeofproduction,themeaningandfunctionofworkchangedfundamentally,especiallyintheProtestantcountries.Man,beingafraidofhisnewlywonfreedom,wasobsessedbytheneedtosubduehisdoubtsandfearsbydevelopingafeverishactivity.Theout-comeofthisactivity,successorfailure,decidedhissalvation,indicatingwhetherhewasamongthesavedorthelostsouls.Work,insteadofbeinganactivitysatisfyinginitselfandpleasurable,becameadutyandanobsession.Themoreitwaspossibletogainrichesbywork,themoreitbecameapuremeanstotheaimofwealthandsuccess.Workbecame,inMaxWeber'sterms,thechieffactorinasystemofinner-worldlyasceticism,ananswertoman'ssenseofalonenessandisolation.4However,workinthissenseexistedonlyfortheupperandmiddleclasses,thosewhocouldamasssomecapitalandemploytheworkofothers.Forthevastmajorityofthosewhohadonlytheirphysicalenergytosell,workbecamenothingbutforcedlabor.TheworkerintheeighteenthornineteenthcenturywhohadtoworksixteenhoursifhedidnotwanttostarvewasnotdoingitbecauseheservedtheLordinthisway,norbecausehissuccesswouldshowthathewasamongthechosenones,,butbecausehewasforcedtosellhisenergytothosewhohadthemeansofexploitingit.Thefirstcenturiesofthemodernerafindthemeaningofworkdividedintothatofdutyamongthemiddleclass,andthatofforcedlaboramongthosewithoutproperty.5Thereligiousattitudetowardworkasaduty,whichwasstillsoprevalentinthenineteenthcentury,hasbeenchangingconsiderablyinthelastdecades.Modernmandoesnotknowwhattodowithhimself,howtospendhislifetimemeaningfully,andheisdriventoworkinordertoavoidanunbearableboredom.Butworkhasceasedtobeamoralandreligiousobligationinthesenseofthemiddleclassattitudeoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies.Somethingnewhasemerged.Ever-increasingproduction,thedrivetomakebiggerandbetterthings,havebecomeaimsinthemselves,newideals.Workhasbecomealienatedfromtheworkingperson.6Whathappenstotheindustrialworker?Hespendshisbestenergyforsevenoreighthoursadayinproducingsomething.Heneedshisworkinordertomakealiving,buthisroleisessentiallyapassiveone.Hefulfillsasmallisolatedfunctioninacomplicatedandhighlyorganizedprocessofproduction,andisneverconfrontedwithhisproductasawhole,atleastnotasaproducer,butonlyasaconsumer,providedhehasthemoneytobuyhisproductinastore.Heisconcernedneitherwiththewholeproductinitsphysicalaspectsnorwithitswidereconomicandsocialaspects.Heisputinacertainplace,hastocarryoutacertaintask,butdoesnotparticipateintheorganizationormanagementofthework.Heisnotinterestednordoesheknowwhyoneproducesthis,insteadofanothercommodity--whatrelationithastotheneedsofsocietyasawhole.Theshoes,thecars,theelectricbulbs,areproducedbytheenterprise,usingthemachines.Heisapartofthemachine,ratherthanitsmasterasanactiveagent.Themachine,insteadofbeinginhisservicetodoworkforhimwhichoncehadtobeperformedbysheerphysicalenergy,hasbecomehismaster.Insteadofthemachinebeingthesubstituteforhumanenergy,manhasbecomeasubstituteforthemachine.Hisworkcanbedefinedastheperformanceofactswhichcannotyetbeperformedbymachines.7Workisameansofgettingmone