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breakfast cereal. electric toaster. Lesson Eight. The Worker as Creator or Machine. Topic for Discussion. What’s your idea of work? . What does work mean to you?. If one day you become rich enough not to worry about money, would you work? . What will you do if not working?.
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Lesson Eight The Worker as Creator or Machine
Topic for Discussion What’s your idea of work? What does work mean to you? If one day you become rich enough not to worry about money, would you work? What will you do if not working? What drives you to work then ? What kind of work do you prefer to do, if you are allowed to choose?
Pre-Text Questions What type of writing is this one? What is mainly talked about in this essay? What’s the theme of the writing? What is the dominating method employed by Fromm to make his theme known and accepted by the readers?
Detailed Study of the Text About the author About the book The Sane Society(1955) Unless man exploits others, he has to work in order to live. Except for those who live off the labor of others, everyone must work to survive. The opening sentence of this paragraph asserts a very basic truth of human society in a very lucid way. Can we take it as the theme of the essay? by the very fact of production, he has risen above the animal kingdom Does this sentence mean that human beings are not members of the animal kingdom? the animal kingdom the vegetable kingdom the mineral kingdom
because of the fact itself that man produces, he has developed far beyond all other animals In what sense does Fromm claim that work isalso human being’s liberator from nature,his creator as a social and independent being? He emerges from nature by mastering her; As man develops, he gains more knowledge of nature and becomes less its victim; his conquest of nature to serve his needs transforms him into her master. Thus he emerges from or rises above nature; What is human being’s original unity with nature? man’s earlier total dependence on and merging with nature like the lower animals How does man unite himself with nature again after the separation? By becoming nature’s master, by stationing himself above nature, man separates himself from nature. But at the same time he connects himself once again to nature to further conquer her and develop his understanding of her.
individuality the sum of the characteristics or qualities that set one person or thing apart from others the beautiful paintings in the caves of Southern France the ornaments on weapons among primitive people the statues and temples of Greece the cathedrals of the Middle Ages What is the purpose of the last sentence of paragraph 1? Do you think that Fromm just picks these examples at random? What is mainly talked about in the second paragraph? craftsmanship What is the author’s idea about craftsmanship? one of the peaks in the evolution of creative work
Work was not only a useful activity, but one which carried with it a profound satisfaction. Work enhanced man’s productive powers and was a source of great satisfaction to the craftsman. C. W. Mills What is Mills’s idea of work? the product being made motive the processes of its creation There is no ulterior motive in work other than … its creation. The worker is only interested in how and what he is going to make. He has no further motives. Why for these craftsmen the details of daily work are meaningful? prosecution the carrying on or engaging in sth
Why in this way there is no split of work and play, or work and culture ? What does Mills mean by saying this? What is your understanding of the last sentence? Why did Fromm choose to have a direct quotation of Mills’? Could a paraphrased version of Fromm have the same effect? What can we learn from the first sentence of the third para.? the modern mode of production Why did these changes happen especially in theProtestant countries ? What were men freed from?
favored by God; chosen by God to go to heaven after death chosen The worker in the eighteenth or nineteenth century…, to sell his energy to those who had the means of exploiting it. The workers didn’t work 16 hours a day to serve God or to show that he was chosen by God to go to heaven, but because in order to live he had to sell his labor to the capitalists who had the means of exploiting him. What is the meaning of work? the middle class duty those without property forced labor What does the first centuries of the modern era refer to? The religious attitude…has been changing Why the perfect continuous tense is used?
What drives man to work in a modern society, according to Fromm? What is the newly emerged thing? Work has become alienated from the working person. The worker feels estranged from or hostile to the work he is doing. What is the main target of Fromm’s psychoanalysis in paragraph 5 ? What can we learn from the first sentence of paragraph 6? Why is the object of the production put in the quotation marks? In what sense does Fromm claim that the worker only play a passive role in his work ? What does the physical aspect of the product refer to?
He is concerned neither with the whole product…nor with its wider economic and social aspects. He doesn’t care about the end product itself or the part it plays in the overall economy or the way in which it serves the needs of society. Why the word enterprise is also put in the quotation marks? What kind of message does this convey? How does a worker become a slave of the machine? What is the work of the worker defined in a modern society? What does the definition indicate? What has been mainly talked about in the 6th paragraph? be devoid of completely lacking devoid A well devoid of water is useless. The article is devoid of both wit and inventiveness.
puts a premium on places an unusual or high value on Employers put a premium on honesty and hard work. Westerners put a premium on punctuality. more valuable than usual, as from scarcity at a premium Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated. Why do you think a pay check is not enough to satisfy a worker? What do they want from their work then? Can the first sentence be taken as the topic sentence of paragraph 7 ? What is being analyzed in the 8th paragraph?
Friction will hinder the speed of production because the machines are not working smoothly. Workers are regarded only as part of the machines so they are treated in an inhumane way. What do you know about the term human engineering? in the name of by the authority of ; for the sake of under the guise of Gosh! They did all that in the name of friendship? What is your understanding of a completely alienated person ? the worker is completely disinterested and thoroughly dislikes his work What does better relation with the public mean?
work alienated features profoundly unsatisfactory the ideal of complete laziness outcomes a hostile toward work Can we take this long sentence as the conclusion reached by Fromm? Can we take the first sentence of the 11th paragraph as its topic sentence? the act, process, or practice of rationalizing rationalization rationalization proposals rationalization of industry
ruler of the space the wide open space of the road the driver can go anywhere he likes What is been mainly talked about in the last paragraph? hostility toward work What is the target of Fromm’s analysis? businessman Many a businessman feels himself the prisoner…he has a feeling of fraudulency about his product and a secret contempt for it. Many businessmen feel trapped by the system which forces them to sell whatever they can, regardless of the quality or usefulness of the product. They knows the quality or usefulness of his product is not what it should be. He despises the goods he produces, conscious of the deception involved.
What does a businessman hate? customers competitors himself products employees superiors Why does he hate these stuff or people or even himself? he hates himself, because he sees his life passing by, without making any sense beyond the momentary intoxication of success the businessman hates himself because he finds life passing by meaninglessly. Only for a short moment does he feel excited over his success.
come up to 1. to reach up as far as (a specified point) The water came up to my neck and I started screaming. 2. to reach (an acceptable level or standard) Their holiday abroad didn’t really come up to expectations. His performance didn’t really come up to his usual high standard. and only occasionally comes up to awareness in a fleeting thought, which is sufficiently disturbing to be set aside as quickly as possible only occasionally he becomes aware of them, and then because they are so disturbing, he puts them aside as quickly as possible
