We Work So We Don't Get Bored - Essay Example

Everyone works. According to Bertrand Russell, we work so we don't get bored. And boredom is even a more serious problem than poverty. As such, even rich people work. W.H. Auden defined work as a job in which one is personally interested in and he is paid for it. This is different from labor because with labor, one is not interested in what he is doing. And work is different from play because in play, one is doing something interesting for him but unlike work, he is not paid for it. In the example given, we can consider both the job of the actor and the teacher as work. Tom Cruise may be really interested in his acting that it may seem like he is just playing. But nevertheless, he is paid for it. The teacher on the other hand, may hate what he is doing. As such it may be considered as labor. However, for the purposes of this discussion, let us assume that he loves teaching as much as Tom Cruise loves his acting. Since we have stated that both actor and teaches is both working and loving what their doing, let us compare their earnings. The teacher earns $25,000 in a year. The movie actor could earn $15 million in three weeks. Obviously, being an actor is more lucrative. Hence the question now presented to us is whether or not this inequitable distribution of wealth is just. To answer this question, we must determine the factors that contribute to why each is paid that way. Firstly, we must look at the nature of their work. The work of the teacher has a more lasting and significant effect as it shapes the mind of the children. It is very important that they do their jobs well as the future of the kids and consequently of this nation, lies on their hands. On the other hand, the work of the actor only has an aesthetic and entertainment value. While "The Arts" is important, it is not as crucial as the work of an educator. The influence of the teacher on the lives of their students is direct, immediate and enduring. The teacher has the power to shape an individual, while the actor is not. We can see here that the disparity in their earnings does not depend on the effect of their jobs. Thus, we move on to looking at the skill required to perform their work. The teacher studied for years to be able to do what he is doing. The actor on the other hand, need not attend formal education. But this does not mean that he did not engage in activities to improve his acting skills. An actor may attend workshops or take on smaller roles for smaller pay. An actor may undergo painful cosmetic surgeries, take in cruel criticisms for his work and sacrifice their private lives. Though their efforts may be different, it would be unfair to suppose that, compared to the teacher, the actor worked less to get to where he is now. Thus, it would be safe to assume that they worked just as hard. However, an actor like Tom Cruise does not only depend on his acting skills. Most of his earnings are attributed to the fact that he is who he is. If a producer requires Tom Cruise to star in the movie, no one else can fill that spot. If an advertiser wants Tom Cruise to endorse their product, no one other than Tom Cruise can do the job. As such, the work of Tom Cruise requires a special skill, talent and personality. On the other hand, the job of the teacher is less unique. While it takes a lot of study to become one, as long as one is diligent enough to finish one's studies, get the proper licenses and qualifications, one may become a teacher too. As such, the teacher in our example may be replaced by another teacher with the same qualification. Joseph A. Schumpeter said that competition is a factor that may dictate prices. To apply it in the case presented, Tom Cruise has no competition in his field as there is no other Tom Cruise. This allows him to dictate the price of his service. He can demand as much as $15 million dollars for three weeks work in a movie. On the other hand, our teacher has lots of competition. Even if he is really good in his work, there is only so much that he can demand. Otherwise, he would be replaced by another teacher. Next thing that we should look at is their employer. Tom Cruise is employed by producers who earn millions of dollars in ticket and video sales or by advertisers who earn millions in sales for their products. On the other hand, the teacher is employed by the State or by private schools who only earn so much from the tuition of their students. As such, they won't be able to afford the teacher if his rate was the same of Tom Cruise's Now that we have established the reasons as to why the actor and the teacher are paid the way they are paid, we now answer the question of whether it is just or not. The disparity between their salaries is immense. And on the surface, we are even likely to say that it is unjust. Imagine, the person that shapes us is paid significantly less than the person who merely entertains us. While this situation is definitely unfortunate, I do not believe that it is unjust. To say that it is unjust means to say that Tom Cruise did not deserve to get paid that much. If the movie that he made earns $80 million, I think he deserve $15 million of it since it was his name and his acting that made it possible for the movie to earn that much. He was the main reason why there is even a profit of $80 million to begin with. If he received only $25,000, the same amount of wage as the teacher, then that would be unjust. I'm not saying that the teacher does not deserve the same amount of money as Tom Cruise. Their job is even more noble that any actor's work. But even if I believe that they deserve as much, with our system today, we can't afford to give our teachers the same amount of money as the actors get. With actors, they work on a movie for months. After a year or two, that movie would earn lots of money already. With grade school teachers, they work on a child for a year, and that child would only earn money after five years at the very least. Also with respect to actors, their contract may state that they only get their salary after the producer gets the proceeds of the movie. With the teachers, it is improper for the Bill Gate's teacher to ask money as premium for the time he taught him in 3rd grade. As such, teachers invest on students not for money. The closest way that teachers get their investment back is through taxes. The children that they taught will eventually work, earn money and pay taxes. It is this tax that pays for the teacher's salary. In conclusion, while it is unfortunate that there is immense discrepancy with the salary of an actor and a teacher. I cannot say that such disparity is unjust. While I believe that teachers deserve more pay than what they are getting now, I believe that even if said salary would be increased, there would still be that same disparity. It is unimaginable to raise teachers salary at par with Tom Cruise's while it is unjust to decrease Tom Cruise's earning to the same amount the teachers receive. As such, the disparity will still exist, unfortunately but not exactly unjustly. Bibliography Auden, W.H. (1970) Work, Labor, and Play. Western Vision and American Values, p 559. USA: Belleview University Bethell, T. (1998) Property in History. Western Vision and American Values, pp.388-393 USA: Belleview University Carnegie, A. (1889) from The Gospel of Wealth. Western Vision and American Values, pp. 437-440 USA: Belleview University Devine, D. J. (2004) In Defense of the West. Maryland: University Press of America, Inc. Franklin, B. (1757) The Way to Wealth. Western Vision and American Values, pp.215-219 USA: Belleview University Friedman, M. (1970) The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits. Western Vision and American Values, pp.550-553 USA: Belleview University Hoffer, E. (1982) The Readiness to Work. Western Vision and American Values, pp.575-579 USA: Belleview University Marx, K., Engels, F. (1848) Proletarians and Communists. Western Vision and American Values, pp.96-101 USA: Belleview University Russell, B. (1930) Work. Western Vision and American Values, pp. 560-563. USA: Belleview University Schumpeter, J.A. (1942) The Process of Creative Destruction. Western Vision and American Values, pp.396-398 USA: Belleview University Read More