Definition of Philosophy

Philosophy Towards Work

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Image: careerealism

Do you belief that the results we reap from our work is directly affected by our attitude towards it?  The work environment is characterized by challenges, competition, failures, and successes. Whether the outcome becomes a success or failure, would depend on the personal philosophy of a person.

A person with a good work philosophy sees work as a way to improve the quality of life.  With this view, people give their work due respect whatever nature of work they are in and in whatever level their career is in.  A positive work philosophy gives pride to man’s most basic productive endeavor.

On the other side of the spectrum is the negative work philosophy that sees a job merely as something that provides money to put food on the table, pay for basic necessities as well as luxuries in life.  People who see work in this view cannot see a job’s essence beyond the pay.  It becomes difficult therefore to make long-term plans in terms of career.

People who work are called upon to answer the higher call of service.  Service, specifically to others is seen as the noble side of working.  It is about providing the best effort in the performance of duties and responsibilities by not appearing burdened for doing such.

People who exhibit joy in doing their jobs attract positive reactions from people they meet in the course of their work.  Co-workers enjoy working with them, customers look forward to transacting with them, and management sees an ally in them.  A pleasant disposition at work may not necessarily equate to complete satisfaction at the work environment  but it manifests an employee’s adaptability  to existing working conditions which usually have limitations.

Most kinds of work are already difficult in themselves and performing related tasks begrudgingly only serves to add to the difficulty.  People should try to love their jobs.  If is it proves impossible to do, then it is probably time to find another job.

About the Author:

Teresa sees work as one of the essential things in life.

 

The Philosophy Of Work In Americana

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Businessman on a Cell Phone

I have never really thought of work in a strictly philosophical light. Neither have I associated the philosophy of work with being an American. I suppose I am no different from my neighbor or my colleague. I go to work because it is part of life. It is necessary. Without working, I would not be able to live the life that I have now.

Yet those thoughts in themselves are already the start of some philosophical analysis. Why do Americans work? Why is work so much part of our lives? These things – and more – were brought to my attention when I ran across Jason J. Campbell’s article titled Americana and the Philosophy of Work. In it, he highlights how the “American culture is intrinsically tied to labor.” He states:

We are a culture of laborers and Americana habituates its citizens to the necessity of work. We are a culture of workers and therefore any attempt to understand Americana must be met by an equal attempt to understand how Americans work.

Generally stated, a philosophy of work is an attempt to locate the essential conditions wherein work is meaningful. In discussing how a culture goes to work and how their effort to work is meaningful, one must take note of the concept.

In discussing Americana, the vast majority of the population has to work because of an acute sense of economic necessity, that is, they work because they have to. Generally speaking, only the very wealthy or those who have retired have the “luxury” of working for its sheer satisfaction.

True enough. I myself believe that I am part of the former group described in the preceding paragraph. Why do you work?

The Ethics of Changing Jobs

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Jessica Alba gets solicited for some business by two employees of a bodyguard company while trying to enjoy a day at the park with daughter Honor Marie in Beverly Hills, Ca

Changing jobs is part of life. We all need to move on at some point in our lives. In this day and age, we can’t very well be expected to stay in one place for the rest of our lives. Yet even in cases like these, we are expected to think things through and to follow certain ethics.

Take this example. Company A has been in operation for several years. After 4 years of operation, most of its employees feel frustrated. They have gone as high as they could in the ranks and discontent is the general prevailing feeling. A competing company opens within the city, unknown to the upper management. This competing company offers a higher salary and better terms. The people within the company also deemed it necessary to try and hire the most skilled people in the original company.
Naturally, these things are kept secret from the original company.

The question now is the ethics involved – not from the perspective of the newly formed rival company but in the part of the employees who are being pirated, for the lack of a better word. Is there something wrong in them wanting to leave their current job for greener pastures? Isn’t that something normal and expected?

I’d have to say that leaving for greener pastures is all well and fine BUT leaving and immediately working for a rival company when you have an agreement with your current company NOT to work with a similar group until after 1 year of leaving is something else. Oh, did I leave that fact out in the beginning?

Here’s your question – would you do what these employees are doing? Or would you be more ethical (and perhaps less practical)?