Dunno if Aristotle would say the things I'm about to say but I'm borrowing a very important concept of his and using it in my own way. Aristotle used a word, the telos, and basically what that means is the purpose or end of something. Teleology is the study of the nature, purpose and ends of things so what is the telos of work? For a very few it might be something aesthetic or emotional but let's go out on a limb here and say for the majority of us work means to be able to have food, clothing and shelter. As soapie likes to point out it's a means to an end at least for most of us.
The Problem With Overwork
Let's say I with my normal 35 or 40 hour workweek have enough to procure the basic necessities of life. I'm not living high on the hog like King Henry VIII throwing ham hocks over my shoulder but I am now able to afford adequate food, clothing and shelter. Now let's say I have a workaholic boss who wants me to go over, work alot of OT well then that violates the telos or purpose or end of work for me. Those extra hours and that extra work go far beyond fulfilling what I consider to be the telos of work as it relates to me. Now somebody else might look upon those extra hours as an opportunity. Now the telos as it relates to him or her is to be able to afford more food and clothing and to pay off and secure more of that shelter but the problem with the modern Work State is that the telos of work applies differently to different people. Just because you want to work like a Mexican shouldn't mean I have to.
So Where Does the Idea of Income Taxes Come From?
Having settled upon a workable definition of the nature and purpose of work or the telos of work I'm gonna go a little further out on that limb here and venture that for the majority of us the purpose or end of work does not include giving part of our earnings which we contracted for with a second party and forking it over to the government to do with as they see fit, no way. Giving various percentages of our earnings to the government in the form of taxes in order to redistribute the fruits of the sweat of your brow is a new definition of the telos of work and could only have been invented by a liberal (try Karl Marx) but it certainly isn't the original purpose or end of work as commonly understood.
So the problem or issue with work for many of us is twofold: we are working longer hours and doing more and harder work to please others (e.g. the boss, the company) when that extra work may go against the telos of work for us but more importantly confiscatory taxation is violating the principle of work for everyone regardless of individual work ethics. Now we just mentioned that the reason many folks are willing to work those extra shifts is to help pay off the mortgage or put their kids through college let's say so if it's mutual the telos of work has not yet been violated but let's say you're a bus driver and happily put in a 60+ hour workweek anticipating your next paycheck but then see that a good chunk of that extra income just went to the government well then the purpose or end of work has been seriously violated. One of the basic differences between conservatives and liberals is that conservatives get the concept of telos more certainly as it relates to work whereas liberals expand the telos of work to include more on their social agenda and that is because conservatives and liberals see the purpose or end of government, the telos of government as being two very different things and that is the subject of our next lecture. For your assignment......
Giving your earnings to the government in the form of taxes in order to redistribute the fruits of the sweat of your brow is a new definition of the telos of work and could have only been invented by a liberal (try Karl Marx)
ReplyDeleteActually, taxes go all the way back to the beginnings of recorded history. Whether you'd like to argue that the ancient Egyptians were liberal is up to you, but they collected taxes on such things as cooking oil. The Greeks and Romans also imposed various taxes, including a tax on foreigners, sales tax, and inheritance tax.
The first taxes in England were imposed during the Roman Empire. Following the collapse of the Empire, the Saxons imposed land and property tax as well as customs duties.
The concept of progressive taxation was noted in the 14th century. In the 17th century, excise taxes were imposed on essential commodities. Regressive taxation ultimately meant that the poor were literally starving, and riots ensued.
You would be hard pressed to prove that taxation is a liberal invention, so I hope you meant it in a wishful-thinking kind of way.
You're right in all of that of course but I was thinking more in terms of the modern American age when the income tax only came on the scene later (early 1900's) as a temporary measure to help with the war effort. Actually the idea of the income tax is right there in Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.
ReplyDelete& as a clarification I'm not against ALL taxes like the sales tax, a tax on gasoline etc. but my main point here is that the income tax violates the telos of work.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to spend the money I earn or donate it the way I see fit.
ReplyDeleteI think you are being unfair, work less hours and Give a Mexican a chance, and "Share the wealth!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBeth one of the most significant things that can happen in our lifetime is if they get rid of the IRS. Don't tinker around the edges like alot of pussy Republicans want to do just start over. We've really lost a sense of the original nature and purpose of things one of which is work. Personally speaking I'm going to my job today so I can better procure food, clothing and shelter. That's my motivation as it is for millions of Americans, it's not to give to government.
ReplyDeleteMal in a sound economy people wouldn't have to put in the OT that they do, a 35 or 40 hour workweek should suffice but that's the whole point. We don't have a sound economy, probably never really did. If people want to say we had great periods of economic growth well those were bubbles.
ReplyDelete