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Die Rettung der Arbeit
Die Zukunft der Arbeit – und unsere Angst davor – ist eines der wichtigsten politischen Themen der Gegenwart. Ein politischer Aufruf von Lisa Herzog.
Wie werden wir in Zukunft arbeiten? Künstliche Intelligenzen und Roboter übernehmen schon jetzt immer mehr Aufgaben und sorgen für Existenzängste, die in die Hände von Populisten spielen. Dabei sollten wir die Zukunft der Arbeit nicht dem Markt überlassen - sie ist eine Frage der politischen Gestaltung, die gerade jetzt couragiert beantwortet werden kann. Arbeit hält Gesellschaften zusammen, sie ist etwas fundamental Menschliches, und die Philosophin Lisa Herzog zeigt, wie sie in digitalen Zeiten gerechter und demokratischer werden kann, als sie es je war - für alle, nicht nur für wenige Privilegierte. Ihr Buch gibt neue Antworten auf eine der großen Fragen unserer Zeit und gibt wichtige Impulse für eine bessere Politik.
Wie werden wir in Zukunft arbeiten? Künstliche Intelligenzen und Roboter übernehmen schon jetzt immer mehr Aufgaben und sorgen für Existenzängste, die in die Hände von Populisten spielen. Dabei sollten wir die Zukunft der Arbeit nicht dem Markt überlassen - sie ist eine Frage der politischen Gestaltung, die gerade jetzt couragiert beantwortet werden kann. Arbeit hält Gesellschaften zusammen, sie ist etwas fundamental Menschliches, und die Philosophin Lisa Herzog zeigt, wie sie in digitalen Zeiten gerechter und demokratischer werden kann, als sie es je war - für alle, nicht nur für wenige Privilegierte. Ihr Buch gibt neue Antworten auf eine der großen Fragen unserer Zeit und gibt wichtige Impulse für eine bessere Politik.
- GenresNonfictionPhilosophy
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 19, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 23, 2024
3.5 stars
short review for busy readers: a German philosophy book on the nature and value of work today. Focused on democracy and capitalism, as well as the blessing and potential curse of AI. No translation to any other languages as of yet.
in detail:
According to German philosopher Lisa Herzog, the problem we're facing in the western working world today is not capitalism per se, nor the rise of AI, although they have their difficult points.
No, the problem is that the working world, the world of companies which operate in liberal democracies, is deeply anti-democratic. If something doesn't change there, the AI 'revolution' will simply entrench the anti-democracy and bias of firms even more.
Companies, Herzog argues, are generally hierarchically structured and run on the assumption that the work done by people higher in the hierarchy is worth more than the work done by those in lower positions.
In history, esp in factories, humans on the lower levels were viewed as mere cogs. Their work required no thought or decision making and was carried out by men usually with little education or even children, making it "low value" work. The men at the top had top educations and used their brains in their work. That was "high value" work.
This traditionally held idea that big corporate bosses deserve every penny of their massive bonuses and golden parachutes because they perform "high value" work has been coming under heavy fire in society in the past decades.
But in business schools and industry, that hierarchical view of work continues to be preached from the pulpit. As does the negative view of humanity that those on lower levels in the company are too lazy, stupid or criminal to be allowed to think, make decisions or contribute a valuable opinion on their own. (The reason for the first general application of workplace AI -- worker surveillance -- and the famous 'suggestion box' that's emptied straight into the trash.)
Herzog calls for the abolition of this antiquated notion and the democratisation of the workplace. All work must be valued, be it done at a desk on the 10th floor of a skyscraper or in an elder care facility.
Work is not simply a "time for money" exchange, she argues. That's the old value scale.
Work is embedded in the social fabric. It brings people of different groups together in the same space and calls for co-operation, tolerance and teamwork. Work provides people with a framework for their day. It provides them not only with the rent, but also with the feeling of being a part of the world outside of themselves.
(This is the real problem of long-term unemployment. Not necessarily the loss of income, but the loss of the social sphere and meaningful connection to the outside world. Humans are social creatures. We suffer more when isolated from the greater tribe.)
Herzog points out that all work is done in co-dependence. No big boss such as Gates or Musk could do their job without the work of the so-called desk jockeys. No doctor could do their work without the help of nurses and orderlies. No scientist could do their work without assistants and grant providers.
To not reward nor even notice the huge contributions made by those in assistive roles simply highlights how much the working world does not reflect the democratic values held by the society outside of its offices.
No wonder workers become disgruntled in their jobs and have no workplace loyalty.
Further, Herzog also addresses AI, its blessings and potential problem areas. She's not against it, but says it has to be developed and "managed" if the anti-democracy inherent in the system is not to be exacerbated. (= The bots aren't coming for your job. The manager who thinks of you as a replaceable cog and sees an easy way get richer is coming for your job...unless someone steps in and stops him.)
People and AI can work together democratically, just like two humans can work together democratically, if each does the task they are best suited for and one is not valued nor 'hired' over the other. This, says Herzog, is the way forward through the AI revolution.
This book contains a number of ideas that deserve consideration. I've only roughly outlined the major arguments in this review.
Unfortunately, the writing style is dense and sometimes hard to follow (leaning hard into academic writing). I also thought it was repetitive, churning its wheels 20 pages over the theoreticals, only to be able to sum up tangibly in a few final paragraphs.
That is: the content is good, but the execution could be much better. 3.5 stars.
short review for busy readers: a German philosophy book on the nature and value of work today. Focused on democracy and capitalism, as well as the blessing and potential curse of AI. No translation to any other languages as of yet.
in detail:
According to German philosopher Lisa Herzog, the problem we're facing in the western working world today is not capitalism per se, nor the rise of AI, although they have their difficult points.
No, the problem is that the working world, the world of companies which operate in liberal democracies, is deeply anti-democratic. If something doesn't change there, the AI 'revolution' will simply entrench the anti-democracy and bias of firms even more.
Companies, Herzog argues, are generally hierarchically structured and run on the assumption that the work done by people higher in the hierarchy is worth more than the work done by those in lower positions.
In history, esp in factories, humans on the lower levels were viewed as mere cogs. Their work required no thought or decision making and was carried out by men usually with little education or even children, making it "low value" work. The men at the top had top educations and used their brains in their work. That was "high value" work.
This traditionally held idea that big corporate bosses deserve every penny of their massive bonuses and golden parachutes because they perform "high value" work has been coming under heavy fire in society in the past decades.
But in business schools and industry, that hierarchical view of work continues to be preached from the pulpit. As does the negative view of humanity that those on lower levels in the company are too lazy, stupid or criminal to be allowed to think, make decisions or contribute a valuable opinion on their own. (The reason for the first general application of workplace AI -- worker surveillance -- and the famous 'suggestion box' that's emptied straight into the trash.)
Herzog calls for the abolition of this antiquated notion and the democratisation of the workplace. All work must be valued, be it done at a desk on the 10th floor of a skyscraper or in an elder care facility.
Work is not simply a "time for money" exchange, she argues. That's the old value scale.
Work is embedded in the social fabric. It brings people of different groups together in the same space and calls for co-operation, tolerance and teamwork. Work provides people with a framework for their day. It provides them not only with the rent, but also with the feeling of being a part of the world outside of themselves.
(This is the real problem of long-term unemployment. Not necessarily the loss of income, but the loss of the social sphere and meaningful connection to the outside world. Humans are social creatures. We suffer more when isolated from the greater tribe.)
Herzog points out that all work is done in co-dependence. No big boss such as Gates or Musk could do their job without the work of the so-called desk jockeys. No doctor could do their work without the help of nurses and orderlies. No scientist could do their work without assistants and grant providers.
To not reward nor even notice the huge contributions made by those in assistive roles simply highlights how much the working world does not reflect the democratic values held by the society outside of its offices.
No wonder workers become disgruntled in their jobs and have no workplace loyalty.
Further, Herzog also addresses AI, its blessings and potential problem areas. She's not against it, but says it has to be developed and "managed" if the anti-democracy inherent in the system is not to be exacerbated. (= The bots aren't coming for your job. The manager who thinks of you as a replaceable cog and sees an easy way get richer is coming for your job...unless someone steps in and stops him.)
People and AI can work together democratically, just like two humans can work together democratically, if each does the task they are best suited for and one is not valued nor 'hired' over the other. This, says Herzog, is the way forward through the AI revolution.
This book contains a number of ideas that deserve consideration. I've only roughly outlined the major arguments in this review.
Unfortunately, the writing style is dense and sometimes hard to follow (leaning hard into academic writing). I also thought it was repetitive, churning its wheels 20 pages over the theoreticals, only to be able to sum up tangibly in a few final paragraphs.
That is: the content is good, but the execution could be much better. 3.5 stars.
June 17, 2019
Hab mal wieder ein Buch abgebrochen. Bis Seite 155. Arbeit ist etwas fundamentales, was unsere Gesellschaft zusammenhält. Soweit so gut. Danach konnte ich einfach nicht mehr folgen. Hier geht es eigentlich darum, wie Arbeit in digitalen Zeiten gerechter und demokratischer werden kann. Aber die Schreibweise ist mir zu hoch. Zu wissenschaftlich. Hatte einfach keine Freude daran und nach jedem Kapitel zu viele Fragezeichen im Kopf. Nehme es mir irgendwann nochmal vor. Oder auch nicht.
December 10, 2022
Ich habe ein wenig Hintergrund im Bereich der Soziologie und für diesen Kenntnisstand war mir das Buch leider oft zu seicht und länglich. Thema und Aussagen sind dennoch interessant.
November 27, 2020
Dieses Buch hat mir dabei geholfen zu reflektieren, wie einseitig die Sichtweise doch war, die wir in unserem BWL Studium vermittelt bekommen haben.
Wirtschaftsethik war nicht mal ein Pflichtfach.
Und sobald man die Themen aus der Perspektive von Politikern oder allg. Mitgliedern einer Gesellschaft betrachtet, und nicht immer nur alles mit dem rationalen homo oeconomicus begründet, sieht man die Unzulänglichkeiten eines allzu liberalen Kapitalismus’ deutlich.
Zitate, die mir besonders zu denken gegeben haben:
“Der Mensch wird durch das, was er tut, geformt, sowohl körperlich als auch geistig” (ursprünglich von Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations”)
Zusammenbringen von Verantwortung und Haftung der Lösung der “Tragik der Allmende / Tragedy of the Commons”
Moderne Aktiengesellschaften privatisieren die Gewinne aber sozialisieren ihre Kosten.
Wichtigkeit, dass sich unterschiedlichste Menschen als gleichberechtigte Mitglieder der Gesellschaft begegnen können.
Erodierendes Vertrauen ist Gift für eine arbeitsteilige Gesellschaft
Wirtschaftsethik war nicht mal ein Pflichtfach.
Und sobald man die Themen aus der Perspektive von Politikern oder allg. Mitgliedern einer Gesellschaft betrachtet, und nicht immer nur alles mit dem rationalen homo oeconomicus begründet, sieht man die Unzulänglichkeiten eines allzu liberalen Kapitalismus’ deutlich.
Zitate, die mir besonders zu denken gegeben haben:
“Der Mensch wird durch das, was er tut, geformt, sowohl körperlich als auch geistig” (ursprünglich von Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations”)
Zusammenbringen von Verantwortung und Haftung der Lösung der “Tragik der Allmende / Tragedy of the Commons”
Moderne Aktiengesellschaften privatisieren die Gewinne aber sozialisieren ihre Kosten.
Wichtigkeit, dass sich unterschiedlichste Menschen als gleichberechtigte Mitglieder der Gesellschaft begegnen können.
Erodierendes Vertrauen ist Gift für eine arbeitsteilige Gesellschaft
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
OK, schon nicht mehr up to date, aber definitiv eine gute Lektüre, zumal es kaum Literatur zu dem Thema gibt. Mitbestimmung und 4-Tage-Arbeitswoche, sowie die Idee sind dankbare Gedankengänge, die auch einmal von der Autorin selber kommen. Mit dem Zitierwahn ist es immer schwerer an Bücher zu kommen, die sich trauen selber zu denken. Vom Hocker gehauen hat‘s mich auch nicht, aber es wirkt wie ein solider Einstieg. Es ist alles ein bisschen kurz, aber ich bin so dankbar, dass eigenes eingearbeitet worden ist, dass es mir leid tut zu bemängeln. Definitiv eine Kaufempfehlung, bitte.
January 1, 2022
An important contribution to the debate about AI and the future of work. Where do humans fit in? What role and stand should politics adopt? Where markets malfunction and how capitalism won't save us from all evils it creates. Some wise words interspersed with wishful thinking.
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March 11, 2025In het Nederlands gelezen
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jankam...
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jankam...
September 15, 2020
Dieses Buch über die Arbeitswelt in der Zeit der digitalen Transformation ist lehrreich, anregend und von größter politischer Brisanz.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews