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Paul Lafargue was a French socialist of the late 19th century, as well as Karl Marx’s son-in-law.
His 1880 essay The Right to Laziness: The Refutation of the Right to Work expressed surprise at the value placed on work.
Here are excerpts from his work, from chapter 1, with the key moments, and their explanation.
Chapter I: A disastrous dogma
This madness is the love of work, the moribund passion for work, pushed to the point of exhaustion of the vital forces of the individual and his progeny.
Instead of reacting against this mental aberration, the priests, the economists, the moralists, have sanctified work.
The Right to Laziness: The Refutation of the Right to Work, 1880, Paul Lafargue
This madness is mainly that of the working classes, in capitalist civilizations. Paul Lafargue is astonished that the working classes continue to work until they can no longer do so.
Paul Lafargue
This madness is encouraged by the religious, the economists, the moralists, that is, all those who propagate a capitalist ideal.
the poets sang of laziness, this gift of the gods:
“O Meliboe, Deus nabis hoec otia fecit”
The Right to laziness: The Refutation of the Right to work, 1880, Paul Lafargue
This sentence is taken from Virgil’s Bucolics: “O. Meliboe, a god has given us this idleness.”
Paul Lafargue justifies laziness and idleness historically, by quoting philosophers, poets, but also the great religions.
Christ, in his discourse on the mountain, preached laziness: “Behold the growth of the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet, I say unto you, Solomon in all his glory was not more brilliantly clothed.”
Jehovah, the bearded and stubborn god, gave his worshippers the supreme example of ideal laziness; after six days of work, he rested for eternity.
The Right to Laziness: The Refutation of the Right to Work, 1880, Paul Lafargue
See also:
→ Should we love work?
→ Work between myths and beliefs