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Ethics in the Workplace

Biblical Interpretations of Work 

Traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs hold that human beings first had dominion over all

things on earth: “Be fruitful and increase in numbers; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the

fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that lives on the ground."

!en :#$%.& The  Book of Genesis states that the first human being  Adamah% 'hich means

“ground-(an& 'as )laced in the !arden of *den to 'or+ and ta+e care of it. ,dam means both

the individual )erson and the 'hole of human+ind. This ideal 'or+ situation 'as disru)ted

 because of disobedience and human beings 'ere thro'n out of the !arden aradise. rom that

moment for'ard misery and suffering entered the human condition. Genesis states/ “ By the

s'eat of your bro' you 'ill eat your food until you return to the ground/ since from it you 'ere

ta+en; for dust you are and to dust you 'ill return0 cursed is the ground because of you;

through )ainful toil you 'ill eat of it all the days of your life." The Judeo-Christian belief

system vie's 'or+ as a curse devised by !od to )unish the first human beings. 1i+e all myths

these stories contain )rofound teachings. The 'riter of Genesis loo+s at the human condition and

'onders 'hy it is full of sorro' and suffering and then reasons bac+'ard to conclude that there

must have been a time 'hen things 'ere better/ )erfect and 'ithout misery and toil. erha)s

'hat 'e find in Biblical/ religious and theological accounts of humanity is the fact that human

 beings cannot acce)t the fact that they are biological and earthly humus%. 2n the Book of Exodus/

#3 the notion of rest is introduced/ “ "4i5 days to do your 'or+/ but on the seventh day do not

'or+/ so that your o5 and your don+ey may rest and the slave born in your household and the

alien as 'ell may be refreshed."  Psalm 67 states that one must 'or+ until evening/ “Then man

goes out to his 'or+/ to his labour until evening.& Proverbs 8 counsels the la9y )erson to loo+ to

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nature to learn ho' to 'or+/ “go to the ant/ you sluggard; consider its 'ays and be 'ise&. These

te5ts sa' 'or+ as necessary in order to )revent )overty and destitution.

2n the New Testament  Jesus changes the vie' of 'or+. 2n John 8 he states/ “o not 'or+

for food that s)oils but for food that endures to eternal life.& aul<s  Letter to the Thessalonians

states/ “(a+e it your ambition to lead a =uiet life/ to mind your o'n business and to 'or+ 'ith

your hands/ >ust as 'e told you/ so that your daily life may 'in the res)ect of outsiders and so

that you 'ill not be de)endent on anybody0. or even 'hen 'e 'ere 'ith you/ 'e gave you

this rule/ "2f a man 'ill not 'or+/ he shall not eat.. 2n his  Letter to the Ephesians the follo'ing

advice is given/ “?e 'ho has been stealing must steal no longer/ but must 'or+/ doing something

useful 'ith his o'n hands/ that he may have something to share 'ith those in need.&

Theological Interpretations of Work During the Middle Ages

uring the (iddle ,ges/ from 766 , until 766 ,/ Catholic thought dominated the

culture of *uro)e. @or+ 'as still )erceived as )unishment by !od for manAs original sin/ but to

this )urely negative vie' 'as added the )ositive as)ect of earnings 'hich )revented one from

 being reliant on the charity of others for the )hysical needs of life. @ealth 'as recogni9ed as an

o))ortunity to share 'ith those 'ho might be less fortunate and 'or+ 'hich )roduced 'ealth

therefore became acce)table.

The language em)loyed by Church athers such as 4t. ,mbrose/ ,ugustine/ Basil/

Chrysostom/ and Jerome against the rich of their time/ is at once a )roof that the )o'erful classes

'ere not imbued 'ith the s)irit of charity/ that the labouring classes 'ere suffering great

hardshi)s/ and that the Christian teachers 'ere the truest friends of the )oor and the toilers. The

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doctrine laid do'n by these athers/ sometimes in very radical terms/ that the earth 'as intended

 by !od for all )eo)les and that the sur)lus goods of the rich belonged of right to the needy. 2t is/

in fact/ although not al'ays so recogni9ed/ the historical and ethical basis of the no' universally

acce)ted conviction among Christian )eo)les that the labourer has a right to a living 'age/ and

that the o'ner of )ro)erty may not do all that he li+es 'ith his o'n began in the 7 th  century 'ith

the declaration of the Church fathers.

uring this brief )eriod the fourth century%/ li+e'ise/ large numbers of men and 'omen

'ho found it im)ossible to live a life of Christian )erfection in the still semi-)agan society of the

time/ founded monasteries and convents/ and there gave to the 'orld its first effective lesson in

the dignity and necessity of 'or+. These foundations gradually became centres of industry and

 )eace/ and later on develo)ed into those medieval to'ns in 'hich labour became for the first

time fully self-res)ecting and free.

*arly Christian 'riters and mystics also )laced an em)hasis on the shortness of time until

the second coming of Christ and the end of the 'orld. ,ny attachment to )hysical things of the

'orld or striving to accumulate e5cessive 'ealth 'as fro'ned u)on. ,s time )assed and the

'orld did not end/ the Christian church began to turn its attention to social structure and the

organi9ation of the believers on earth. (onasteries 'ere formed 'here mon+s )erformed both

the religious and intellectual 'or+ of the church reading/ co)ying manuscri)ts/ etc.%/ and tended

to the manual labor needed to su))ly the needs of the community. eo)le 'ho 'ere 'ealthy

'ere e5)ected to meet their o'n needs/ but to give the e5cess of their riches to charity.

?andicraft/ farming/ and small scale commerce 'ere acce)table for )eo)le of moderate means/

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 but receiving interest for money loaned/ charging more than a ">ust" )rice/ and big business 'ere

not acce)table.

, hierarchy of )rofessions and trades 'as develo)ed by 4t. Thomas ,=uinas as )art of

his encyclo)edic consideration of all things human and divine . ,griculture 'as ran+ed first/

follo'ed by the handicrafts and then commerce. These 'ere considered to be the 'or+ of the

'orld/ ho'ever/ and the 'or+ of the church 'as in a higher category. The ideal occu)ation 'as

the monastic life of )rayer and contem)lation of !od. @hether as a cleric or in some 'orldly

occu)ation/ each )erson embar+ed on a )articular 'or+ course as a result of the calling of !od/

and it 'as the duty of a 'or+er to remain in his class/ )assing on his family 'or+ from father to

son.

2n the culture of the medieval )eriod/ 'or+ still held no intrinsic value. The function of

'or+ 'as to meet the )hysical needs of oneAs family and community/ and to avoid idleness 'hich

'ould lead to sin. @or+ 'as a )art of the economic structure of human society 'hich/ li+e all

other things/ 'as ordered by !od.

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