In Praise of Idleness – Bertrand Russell

In Praise of Idleness is an excellent and compelling short essay in which Russell succinctly sets out the case for working 4 hours a day. Requiring the reallocation of resources to avoid overwork for some and starvation for others.

Clearly this is a lofty goal in our current society. However if nothing else, we can take away from this the very importance of leisure time, for everyone. How we can add more meaning to our lives by making time to think and create.

“Without the leisure class, mankind would never have emerged from barbarism.”

SYNOPSIS

Noted mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell tried to apply the clarity he admired in mathematical reasoning to the solution of problems in other fields, in particular ethics and politics. In this essay, first published in 1932, Russell argues in favour of a four-hour working day. Consider whether his “arguments for laziness” deserve serious consideration today.

“The individual in our society works for profit; but the social purpose of his work lies in the consumption of what he produces. … We think too much of production, and too little of consumption. One result is that we attach too little importance to enjoyment and simple happiness, and that we do not judge production by the pleasure that it gives to the consumer.”

Book 2 in 2019

READ NOW: In Praise of Idleness: A Timeless Essay

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PUBLISHED: 1932

RECOGNITION: Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950

GENRE: Philosophy, Essay

PAGES: 18

“Ordinary men and women, having the opportunity of a happy life, will become more kindly and less persecuting and less inclined to view others with suspicion. The taste for war will die out, partly for this reason, and partly because it will involve long and severe work for all.”