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In Praise Of Idleness Analysis

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Emaad Khan 18100272 Writing and Communication (SS-100) Furrha Ahsan In Praise of Idleness, Bertrand Russell A Critique Being an outspoken social philosopher, Bertrand Russell is widely acclaimed for his criticism of various socio-political movements, religion and logical ideology. The text, In Praise of Idleness, is an essay taken from a compilation of essays named “In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays” by Russell, published in 1935 [Irvine]. The essay urges the reconsideration of employment hours of workers in relation to leisure time. Moreover, it argues that an increased amount of happiness could be achieved if everyone worked for four hours a day and spent the rest of the time for leisurely pursuits. The thirties was a rather arduous …show more content…

Making comparisons to the human condition in the past versus the present, Russell supports his thesis through historical examples of working conditions and leisure. It is further clarified that leisure should be differentiated from frivolity. He adopts a rather witty but firm tone throughout the piece with the occasional sarcastic remark about Russia (USSR) indicating a biased view towards the …show more content…

A large portion of the population is over worked and underpaid. Children are taught at a young age that rewards of a decent living and financial stability await only those willing to put in long hours of strenuous work in. Every year, through the local school board, or the British system, hundreds, if not thousands, of students graduate high school with extraordinary grades. Typically, these children end up taking long work hours that do not pay fairly just to make ends meet. Unlike developed countries, the laws regarding employment management are not as well developed or implemented. This causes a rather dramatic shift in the hours and quality of work done by a person of a lower class as compared to the upper class. The application of Russell’s theory could greatly benefit the middle and lower classes earn what they deserve. It will also ensure a greater focus of human intelligence, which there seems to be a great deal of, in Pakistan, on furthering the human knowledge, and, as Russell states: “Above all, there will be happiness and joy of life, instead of frayed nerves, weariness, and dyspepsia.”

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