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>>Bottom line: I would not want to swap positions with the 14th century peasant and I suspect the author would not want to, either. > But is that the issue her
by ptero 9y ago
>>Bottom line: I would not want to swap positions with the 14th century peasant and I suspect the author would not want to, either.
> But is that the issue here? What does that sentence even mean, or add to the discussion?
I think the author of the article (not the author of the quoted research one level down) argues that an average medieval peasant had it better than an average modern worker; thus we should try to nudge in that direction, specifically by providing more vacation. Or at least that is how I read it and what the last sentence argues against. My 2c.
- emodendroket 9y agoI don't think a vague sense that "they had it better" is necessarily what's at issue. The popular image of the peasant is that they must have spent most of their lives toiling away. What the historical record shows is rather different. I don't think any of us are arguing for regressing society to feudalism (well, besides [your least favorite political figure here] at least, ha ha), but looking at the disparity does give us something to interrogate -- why did we adopt the kind of hours we work now? Do they still make sense? (I think the first question is probably easier to answer than the second)