'Philosophy Today' Public lecture Series 2024 | Dr. Caleb Althorpe | 'Making Work Meaningful'
Dr. Caleb Althorpe | Teaching Fellow, Philosophy | Trinity College Dublin
Work is central to most people’s lives. Other than sleeping, most of us spend more time working than doing anything else. This means that a positive experience at work is a crucial component of our lives going well. One positive experience individuals report as especially important is having work that is meaningful. But what exactly makes work ‘meaningful’? Is it just whatever the worker feels is meaningful? Or is it work that has certain features, such as being complex, or giving the worker a say in how it is carried out? And once we are clear on what meaningful work is, could state policy aiming to promote meaningful work ever be justified?
Caleb Althorpe does research in political philosophy and political theory, examining normative questions that fall at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics.
In this talk he will offer some answers to these questions, emphasising the importance of social contribution and how meaningful work is linked to individuals’ self-respect as valued participating members of society.