04 Nov The Invention of Work: 2nd Edition

Work is in fact a modern invention. Systematic wage-labor is not a timeless condition but a post-industrial novelty, and in the present day it is unavoidable and intolerable. This kind of work does not easily conform to the Benedictine slogan pray and work. It inhibits the proper end and expression of the human soul. We desperately need a proper philosophy of work capable of discerning the place of work in relation to economics, metaphysics, society, technology and living out the Gospel.

The Invention of Work assesses the state of the question of work in light of the pontificate of Leo XIV . The criteria required to constitute a complete philosophy of work eludes easy answers and cultural platitudes, so this book aims to outline the nature of the problem and what qualities make a philosophy of work coherent, Catholic and definitive. This second edition includes two new chapters, offers potential solutions to the most egregious aspects of work and delves into the papal encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

I intend to release this for the feast of St. Leo the Great on November 10th. The second edition is nearly twice as long and contains expanded sections on existentialism, technology, AI and previous papal addresses to the problem of work. I consider this second edition to be the definitive edition, so be sure to get your hands on a paperback copy or Kindle version through the Amazon link provided on release.