The Politics of Time Audiobook Libro.fm

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How does a person organize a good life The ancient Greeks divided time into five types labour work leisure play and aergia contemplation But labour was separated from work as painful onerous work undertaken for survival whereas work could include caring for family members study or political activities But now our jobs are supposed to provide all meaning in life and our time outside of work is thought of as simply time off

Time has been political throughout history In the Industrial Era employers sought to define labour as virtuous and in our current era of runaway neoliberalism salaried workers find their mental health plummeting public services are stretched to breaking point and inequality is soaring while the time of those in insecure employment is being stolen from them in increasingly byzantine and humiliating ways

We must recognize that time is political a resource more precious than money that must be defended at all costs and revive ancient forms of tending ourselves the planet and each other through commoning We can retake control of our time but we must do it together

2023 Guy Standing P2023 Penguin Audio