Work in the traditional culture of Antiquity and Medieval Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Karpova Olga E.

Antiquity and the Middle Ages influenced the culture of the modern global world, including the attitude to work. The article provides evidence that the attitude to work in antiquity was not unambiguous and varied depending on the period. Nevertheless, Plato and Aristotle created a hierarchy of work, justifying the low position of manual labor and high position of mental labor. Medieval theologians tried to get away from the hierarchical division of labor, justifying the equality of honest works, but this process took time. A gradual change took place in the Christian worldview of medieval people, where the list of several God-fearing professions was significantly expanded to include many socially beneficial occupations (merchant, craftsman, teacher). The attitude to the work of Late Medieval Period created the preconditions for the emergence of capitalist relations in the future.

Keywords:labor, work, Antiquity, Medieval Europe, Middle Ages, attitude to work, traditional society, pre-industrial society