Value of Time and Leisure in a World of Work

It is a platitude that most people, as they say, 'work to live' rather than 'live to work.' And in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, work weeks have expanded and the divide between work time and personal time has significantly blurred due to innovations in such things as electronic communications. Concerns over the value of work in our lives, as well as with the balance or use of time between work and leisure, confront most people in contemporary society. Discussions over the values of time, leisure, and work are directly related to the time-honored question of what makes a life good. And this question is of particular interest to philosophers, especially ethicists. In this volume, leading scholars address a range of value considerations related to peoples' thoughts and practices around time utilization, leisure, and work with masterful insight. In addressing various practical issues, these scholars demonstrate the timeless relevance and practical import of Philosophy to human lived experience.

The writers of these essays are top-notch, the variety of angles taken is useful, and the applications are very relevant to contemporary business. The essays in this book not only help us to think through the issues of work and leisure, but they help us see how philosophers throughout the ages have provided insight to this issue.

Mitchell R. Haney is assistant professor of philosophy at the University of North Florida. A. David Kline is professor of philosophy at the University of North Florida and director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Center for Ethics, Public Policy and the Professions. He is co-editor of Introductory Readings in The Philosophy of Science, Philosophy: The Basic Issues, and Agricultural Bioethics.