NEH Enduring Questions Course on Work and Leisure?

FAIN: AQ-248310-16

Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3800)
Jon Burmeister (Project Director: September 2015 to June 2019)

The development and teaching of a new intensive six-week summer course for undergraduates on the meaning of work and leisure.

What is the meaning of work and leisure? That is, what are useful *definitions* of work and leisure, and what are the *purposes* of work and leisure in our lives? These questions have been persistently addressed by great minds over the last several millennia, and this course will critically examine some of the most influential positions on work and leisure from ancient to contemporary times. This examination will take place alongside the question of how recent developments in robotics and artificial intelligence might eventually impact the place of work and leisure in our lives. Through the lenses of sociology, economics, religion, and philosophy, this course will work to clarify and deepen students’ understanding of the roles that work and leisure might play in a meaningful human life.

Associated Products

The Future of Work in the Age of Automation (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: The Future of Work in the Age of Automation
Author: Organizer: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: The relationship between our technologies and our work has always been an intimate one, whether the wooden plow to the ancient farmer or the MRI machine to the neurologist. Yet we now live in an age in which our technologies are advancing so rapidly that their effects on our future working lives are increasingly difficult to predict. While some thinkers argue that we are nearing a future in which automated labor will lead to wide-scale unemployment, others argue that the past trend of technology creating more jobs than it destroys will continue. Either way, in light of the advent of self-driving cars and software that can write news stories, it is prudent for us to consider what technological automation might be able to do for us, what it can never do for us, and how its future developments might impact our daily working lives. This conference will address these themes through the lenses of philosophy, economics, sociology, business, and computer science. The conference will conclude with the three speakers and an additional participant putting their respective disciplinary insights into dialogue, to collectively tackle the question of automation and the future of work. STOKES HALL, S195 (Auditorium) — Campus Map Monday, February 27th 3:15-4:00pm – Dr. Robert Margo (Economics) 4:00-4:45pm – Dr. Juliet Schor (Sociology) 15 minute Break 5:00-5:45pm – Dr. Juliet Floyd (Philosophy) 5:45pm-6:30pm – Panel Discussion: the above speakers along with Dr. William Griffith
Date Range: 2/27/17
Location: Boston College, Stokes Hall S195
Primary URL: https://workandleisure.org/
Primary URL Description: An online resource regarding the question: "Work and Leisure: What are They For?" (including information on the 2/27/17 conference.

Work and Leisure: What are They For? (Web Resource)
Title: Work and Leisure: What are They For?
Author: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: An online resource for the question: "Work and Leisure: What are They For?" The site currently includes information on an upcoming conference, on the Boston College summer course "What is the Meaning of Work and Leisure?", and assorted other information on the topics of work and leisure.
Year: 2017
Primary URL: https://workandleisure.org/

What is the Meaning of Work and Leisure? (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: What is the Meaning of Work and Leisure?
Author: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: We spend much of our lives working, or preparing ourselves to work. We spend much of the rest of our time pursuing leisure. But what are our goals in doing so? How important is it for our work to be meaningful? Is leisure simply the absence of work, or something more? And what role do each of these play in a fulfilling life? This course will work to respond to these questions through the lenses of philosophy, sociology, religion, and economics. We will examine conceptions of work ranging from the idea that it is a necessary evil to the idea that it is a form of religious devotion. We will consider conceptions of leisure ranging from the view that it consists of relaxation, to the view that it is an activity one cannot engage in without prior self-development. From Aristotle to Adam Smith, from Martin Luther to Max Weber, we will study various accounts of what work and leisure have been, and what their ideal forms might be. The course will conclude by considering the coming age of technologically automated physical and mental labor, and its impact on the future of work and leisure.
Year: 2016
Primary URL: https://workandleisure.org/
Audience: Undergraduate

Conference: Liberal Arts and the Future of Work and Leisure (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Conference: Liberal Arts and the Future of Work and Leisure
Author: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: *Conference Description* A liberal arts education has always had the ability to transform a student, and thus to transform how they choose to organize their time in adult life: both the time they spend at work and the time they spend at leisure. Yet the factors influencing what sorts of work and what sorts of leisure are available are in a state of increasing flux. From AI-driven automation, to globalization, to infinite entertainment delivered instantly to the palm of your hand, the general conditions of work and leisure are undergoing a radical transformation. In this shifting landscape, what role do the liberal arts have to play? In addition to a liberal education being valuable for its own sake, how can it prepare students for an economy in which whole sectors of work may rapidly shrink or disappear, e.g., through off-shoring or automation? And how can it help students develop the habit of spending their free time well, in the face of endless possibilities for distraction? This conference will seek answers to these questions.
Date Range: Thursday, April 5th, 2018
Location: Boston College, Cushing Hall 001
Primary URL: https://workandleisure.org/#2018conf

The Future of Meaningful Work: What Will A.I.’s Impact Be? (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Future of Meaningful Work: What Will A.I.’s Impact Be?
Author: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: (This presentation was drawn from an article I wrote for The Philosopher's Magazine) In this century, many meaningful and fulfilling jobs will be made obsolete by artificial intelligence, specifically, by machine learning. Some predict that this will eventually lead to a post-work heaven of leisure, while others predict a hellish state of poverty and boredom. It’s thus worth thinking through a few questions: 1.) in the coming few decades, what sorts of jobs might be destroyed by machine learning, and what sorts might endure, and might be created? 2.) to remain employed, how might we prepare for this? and 3.) how will these shifts affect how we find meaning in our work?
Date: 4/30/18
Primary URL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wf9egizydkjmdzp/AI%20%26%20Meaningful%20Work%2C%20Jon%20Burmeister.pptx?dl=0
Primary URL Description: A Dropbox link to my PowerPoint presentation
Secondary URL: https://grapplingwiththefutures.com/detailed-schedule
Secondary URL Description: The site listing the conference schedule.
Conference Name: Grappling with the Futures -- Harvard University and Boston University

"We Can Automate Work. Can We Automate Meaning?" (Article)
Title: "We Can Automate Work. Can We Automate Meaning?"
Author: Jon K. Burmeister
Abstract: In this century, many meaningful and fulfilling jobs will be made obsolete by artificial intelligence, specifically, by machine learning. Some predict that this will eventually lead to a post-work heaven of leisure, while others predict a hellish state of poverty and boredom. It’s thus worth thinking through a few questions: 1.) in the coming few decades, what sorts of jobs might be destroyed by machine learning, and what sorts might endure, and might be created? 2.) to remain employed, how might we prepare for this? and 3.) how will these shifts affect how we find meaning in our work?
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/513h369nubpnfnr/We%20Can%20Automate%20Work%2C%20Can%20We%20Automate%20Meaning%20-%20Jon%20K.%20Burmeister.pdf?dl=0
Primary URL Description: a Dropbox link to the article itself
Secondary URL: https://www.philosophersmag.com
Secondary URL Description: the site of the magazine the article was published in
Access Model: Subscription Only
Format: Magazine
Periodical Title: The Philosopher's Magazine
Publisher: The Philosopher's Magazine

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