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Work has not always been so esteemed. The ancient Greeks, for example, viewed work as a curse imposed on humanity by the gods. Work was thought to be an unpleasant and burdensome activity that was incompatible with being a citizen and developing one's mind. The Greeks therefore used slaves and justified slavery on the grounds that it freed citizens to spend their time in philosophic contemplation and cultural enrichment. Although the Romans viewed commercial banking as acceptable employment, practically all other occupations were considered vulgar and demeaning. The ancient Hebrews viewed work ambivalently. On the one hand, they regarded it as a drudgery or a grim necessity. On the other hand, they saw it as an expression of love for God. The early Christians also were ambivalent toward work. They viewed working as doing penance for Original Sin. But, they also believed that people needed to work to make their own living and to help those in need. The Protestant Reformation, which began in the 17th century, brought about profound changes in social values concerning work. Work became highly valued for the first time. One of the Protestant reformers, Martin Luther, asserted that labor was a service to God. Since that time, work has continued to be viewed as honorable and as having religious significance.
Another Protestant reformer, John Calvin, had an even more dramatic effect on changing social views toward work. Calvin preached that work is the will of God. Hard work, good deeds, and success at one's vocation were taken to be signs that one was destined for salvation. Idleness or laziness came to be viewed as sinful. One religious group that was heavily influenced by Calvin's teachings was the Puritans. Calvin's teachings were widely accepted and formed a new cultural value system that became known as the Protestant ethic. This ethic has three core values: hard work, frugality, and asceticism.
The values advanced by the Protestant ethic have continued throughout our history. For example, Benjamin Franklin cleverly praised these values in several axioms. Former President Nixon, in a speech on welfare reform, declared that labor had intrinsic value, that it had a strong American tradition, and that it was consistent with religious teachings. Although we no longer value the frugal, ascetic lifestyle of Puritanism, we still believe strongly in the ethic of hard work. An able-bodied person, to gain approval from others, is expected to be employed (or at least to be receiving job training). People on welfare are often looked down on. The more people are paid, the more highly they are regarded by others and the more highly they regard themselves. People in low-status jobs are generally unable to form a satisfying identity from their jobs. Because our work has immense effects on our self-concept, having a degrading, boring, and dehumanizing job can damage our psychological well-being.
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