Ethics Defence Paper Example on Work and Leisure

In this paper, I will argue that our obsession with work in our modern day lives has led to a detrimental decrease in our sense of wonder and spirituality. In the world of today, people tend to be more concerned with how they are going to eke a living for themselves that they hardly take time off to engage in leisurely activities. Our obsession with work has robbed us of the most important experiences of life on earth. There is more to life than paying bills and making investments. Whereas we find joy and happiness from financial security, more often than not, we don't get to experience the beauty of things that are seen within our environments.

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Contrary to popular opinion, leisure does not refer to the time we take off from doing work. The vacations and holidays that we take to rejuvenate ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of the workplace do not embody the true essence of leisure. According to Josef Pieper, leisure is an intangible feeling. It is a condition of the soul in which man can contemplate about life in general. During the state of leisure, man can take notice of the things that are found within his environment. It is from the noticing of details around him that man can make meaning out of life. Through observation of stuff outside the classroom setup, man can have a deeper understanding of the knowledge he has acquired from experiments and research.

According to the teachings of Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics (Stewart, 1892), there are several similarities found in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher and the lecture found in Josef Pieper's video. For instance, Aristotle taught that different men have different ambitions in life. Some men consider hedonism as the ultimate goal in life whereas others are more concerned with discovering knowledge that will be used for the advancement of humanity. To such men, the attainment of scholarly excellence or honour is the ultimate purpose of life on earth. Aristotle discovered that men have different ambitions in life because there is no universally accepted definition of happiness. This makes it possible for men to take different paths in life with the hope that they will end up attaining their ultimate purpose.

Aristotle went further ahead to point out that riches and wealth have led to the downfall of very many men since time immemorial. Despite having amassed immense wealth, many men still feel the urge to seek more from life itself. The story of Sisyphus teaches us that engaging in continuous work prevents us from finding happiness in other forms of life (Chris, 2011). In our modern day lives, we have to find a way of striking a balance between our jobs and taking care of ourselves. Through leisure, we can restore our sense of wonder and adventure. Leisure enables us to meditate and contemplate about life in general. As Thomas Aquinas pointed out, the phenomenon is the fundamental basis of human life. It is through our sense of curiosity and wonder that we can contemplate our roles within the expansive cosmos that we are part of. By engaging in soul-searching activities, we can restore our spiritual relationship with God.

From watching Per Ovesen create a violin from scratch, we can deduce that, by doing jobs that we enjoy, we can attain happiness and fulfilment (Ovesen, 2011). However, such happiness does not fully satisfy man's entire existence. The teachings of modern day philosophers such as Immanuel Kant have created the notions that scientific discoveries have been able to unravel all the mysteries of the world. As a result, there is no room for mystery and wonder in today's world. Such beliefs have caused a lot of people to stick to doing jobs that have taken the life out of them. Instead of happiness, all they experience is despair. The eyes of the anonymous person in the Samsara video tell a story of unfulfillment and depression (Baraka & Samsara, 2014).

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to state that leisure should always be of more importance to man than earning a living. It is from the reflections that come with leisure that we can find more creative ways of doing work. There is no point in being rich when our mental and spiritual wellbeing has been ruined from years of neglect.

References

Stewart, J. A. (1892). Notes on the Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle (Vol. 1). Clarendon Press.

Aristotle, C. (2006). Nicomachean ethics. ReadHowYouWant. com. Retrieved from (https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=r5IMwoUjjTkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=+nicomachean+ethics+of+aristotle&ots=MRmkIsLyhy&sig=LK7JZmP-SLtWjKbTEl8_PX0eBbk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=nicomachean%20ethics%20of%20aristotle&f=false)

Chris, L (2011) Josef Pieper: Sisyphus and the Defence of Leisure (video file). Retrieved from (https://vimeo.com/16982563)

Baraka & Samsara (2014) Samsara food sequence (video file). Retrieved from (https://vimeo.com/73234721)

Ovesen, P (2011, May 12th) Per Ovesen - Violin Maker (video file). Retrieved from (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10150192172557836&id=202740186423356&_rdr)