"How many different trades are employed in each branch of the linen and woollen manufacturers" 1.1, p. 6.
Somewhat in response to Matt and Pat (hehe) I was struck by Smith's focus on labor as something that connects people. Many people labor in many different trades in many different places to produce one thing; people are connected through products and through labor. Labor also defines people against one another: we both worked to produce this pin, but you drew out the wire and I ground the top. Finally, people are defined by their labor: I am a farmer, you are an investment banker, you are a stay-at-home mom. Matt and Patt-man have rightly pointed out a paradigm shift (and I hope we discuss how significant that shift is or is not) from man as a spiritual individual to a working man.
I've been thinking about labor in relation to our identity. Our labor connects, separates, and defines us. If someone drops the ball and doesn't do their work there may be consequences for the whole community, but if you take away someone's industry they may not know who they are anymore. There is also unseen labor such as that in the home that very much affects who we are. There is absolutely a connection between labor and person, between work and sense of self. What does Smith have to say about how labor shapes and stunts the self?
No comments:
Post a Comment