[How About This Book] How Much Are You Controlling Your Time?

The Meaning of Labor as a 'Means of Livelihood' in Ancient Times
Work Was Seen as Care and Leisure
But Now the Line Between Labor and Work Has Blurred

Modern People Obsessed Only with Labor
Need to Regain Control Over Their Time

Today, jobs are regarded as a source that brings happiness to individuals and can integrate society. However, Guy Standing, a professor at SOAS, University of London, raises doubts about whether labor truly brings happiness in his book "Time Inequality." He argues that labor signifies uncontrollable time, which can be a source of stress for modern people.

The original title of the book is "The Politics of Time." Professor Standing begins by explaining that labor and work, which are used almost interchangeably today, were distinct concepts for a long time since ancient times. Work was an act of controlling time, whereas labor was an act of not being able to control time. He points out that as humanity's economic system developed in a way that blurred the boundary between work and labor, uncontrollable labor increased, causing many problems.

[How About This Book] How Much Are You Controlling Your Time?

The ancient Greeks distinguished between work and labor. They divided activities involving the use of time into five types: labor, work (task), leisure, play, and contemplation. Among these, labor was considered the lowest concept. In other words, labor was perceived as subordinate to work. Labor referred to activities performed by workers, artisans, foreigners, and slaves for their livelihood. Such physical labor was seen as an act that deformed both body and mind because it offset the time for self-cultivation.

The Greeks believed that one had to possess "arete," meaning excellence or moral virtue, to become a citizen. They thought that if one engaged in labor, spending too much time on it, there would be no time left to educate oneself to acquire arete. Labor was seen as an obstacle to qualifying as a citizen. This perception is also reflected in the etymology of labor. The Greek word for labor, "ponos," meant pain and toil. Additionally, labor shares etymological roots with "penia," meaning poverty. Thus, for the Greeks, labor meant painful and strenuous activities performed in poverty. In contrast, work (ergon) referred to activities done inside or around the home with relatives or friends, such as caregiving, studying, education, military training, creative activities (poetry, music, theater), jury duty, and participation in religious rituals.

Unfortunately, human history has moved toward blurring the distinction between labor and work. Professor Standing divides the time system into three periods according to the economic structure that developed from agriculture to industry and then to services. He points out that by the late 19th century, during the industrial era, countless men and women lost the ability to use time in their own way. They lost professional control, and time was commodified in labor and jobs. The loss of control over time caused widespread mental and physical disorders such as neurosis and hysteria.

French philosopher Michel Foucault, in works such as "Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason," pointed out that mental hospitals became a means of warning by restraining those who did not adhere to desirable behavioral norms, internalizing the values of socioeconomic order and ensuring conformity. Professor Standing interprets the increase in unjust confinement, the use of physical restraints, and the abuse of sedatives as crisis signs revealed during the transition to a labor-centric society.

A prominent feature of today's third time system, emerging from the information technology revolution, is that many people spend more time laboring than before yet earn less. Standing argues that this has globally evolved the class structure. The classes are divided into the rentier class, elite, proficians, salariates, proletariat, and precariat.

The rentier class consists of global billionaires who work but do not labor. Most of their income comes from owned assets. The elite refers to corporate CEOs and presidents. They do some labor and earn income not only from rent-type assets but also from salaries. Proficians are self-employed professionals such as consultants and architects who labor passionately to earn income. They are independent regarding employment issues. Salariates are employees of the state or corporations who receive regular and predictable salaries and have guaranteed employment. Today, the stable but overworked proletariat is decreasing, while the precarious precariat is increasing. The precariat relies almost entirely on labor and work for income, so employment instability is a significant threat to them. They are immersed only in labor, lacking leisure for caregiving, education, or recreation, and are effectively unable to exercise citizenship.

Professor Standing emphasizes that the number of workers suffering from uncontrollable time is increasing and insists on distinguishing labor from work and restoring work. He stresses that modern people are immersed in uncontrollable labor and that politics capable of restoring controllable time is necessary. He also argues that full employment cannot be a solution in the current situation where labor conditions are worsening. Instead, basic income can be an important means to secure controllable time.