St. Thomas deals in his different writings about human work using various terms for it. The most used term is „labor” and beside this there are many others as „operatio”, „actio”, „opus”, „factio”, „ars”, „contemplatio”. The analysis of these terms and their contexts shows, that human work is ontologically tied to the phenomenon of life and being and therefore it is a movement. This movement arises from the actualisation of forces latent in nature and owing to an intended release of action in man.
The deepest source of human work is the potentiality or in other terms, the possibility of development of the human nature. The function of work is to release or actuate this potentiality in nature and in man. Work implies the element of creative effort which is undertaken by man according to God's injunction. The element of physical tiredness is connected to the effort; it requires the renewal of forces by rest. This effort in work decreases the more the element which animates and moves man, coordinates and takes possession of the sphere of executive powers. Each human work contains at least an implicite aim which represents a good.
The degree of perfection of the product proves the degree of perfection of the work. The intellectual and valuating factor plays here a fundamental part. St. Thomas emphasises that the personel character of human work constitutes its essential feature.
The definition of human work according to St. Thomas' writings would be: human work is a creative intended and conscious effort of the person in tending to good, which has a social importance.
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Vol. 3 (1970)
Published: 2021-03-10
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