The Human Condition

Week 3: Work and Action

Dear Reader,

Welcome to week three of The Human Condition!

This week I am going to talk about work and action. Below you’ll find a video and a handout with key terms and quotations.

Looking forward to seeing you later!

Until soon,

Sam

Defining Work:

Work is the activity of creating durable objects, artifacts, and structures that compose the world we live in. It is the process by which we impose a sense of permanence and stability on the otherwise fleeting and transient nature of human life. It is distinct from the natural world and labor and requires the expropriation of the earth, which Arendt sees as a form of violence. Unlike labor, which is cyclical and bound to the biological life processes of the body, work has a beginning and an end—it aims at producing something lasting. It reflects our capacity to make and shape the world we live in.

Defining Action:

Action is possible wherever two or more individuals appear before one another in a public space. Through words and deeds—speaking and acting—we reveal our unique identities to one another. It is a space of self-expression and self-recognition. Our words and deeds might be remembered forever and achieve immortality through the storytelling of others. Action is always spontaneous. Its tense is the now. Unlike work, which has a clear aim, the outcome of action can never be predicted. It is inherently unpredictable. For Arendt, spontaneity and freedom are coeval. This means that through action, we are able to create new beginnings in the world.