ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that albeit in general terms, the validity of this observation and, then, set out in somewhat greater detail the modern place of work, leisure, and obligation. The actual patterns of work and leisure among ordinary people during this period, it appears, were quite different from what its “gentlemen-philosophers” – most notably Plato and Aristotle – had to say about them. These intellectuals were unusual people in Greek society, for they had sufficient free time during which they could philosophize about the domains and their relationship. Aristotle wrote about what has been translated into English as the “good life.” Integral to this life, he said, is achieving excellence in morality and intellectual pursuits. The chapter explores the Protestant ethic as a main turning point in the evolution of work and leisure in a time frame running from subsistence to modern living. Still we can hardly deny Plato and Aristotle’s far-reaching influence on the contemporary world.
