Basic Knowledge
The study of rhetoric and the philosophy of communication requires a command of various approaches, concepts, and theories. The notion of leisure is often overlooked in the contemporary world concerned with pressing social issues and more relevant problems. Josef Pieper revisits the importance of leisure for society in his book Leisure, The Basis of Culture. The author reflects on the adverse effects of the hectic lifestyle fostered by communism and capitalism. The fundamental idea presented in the book emphasizes that leisure is essential to the ability to perceive the world’s reality.
I can identify three ways in which this book distinctively advanced my theoretical knowledge of the rhetoric and philosophy of communication. Firstly, Pieper improved my understanding of leisure and its importance to human nature, defining it as “non-activity,” or an anti-utilitarian stillness that derives from one’s perception of oneself in relation to the universe’s totality (50). Secondly, the book helped me comprehend the idea that doing philosophy implies realizing the human mind’s natural predisposition towards totality. Thirdly, the author claimed that leisure could be viewed as a foundation of any culture, which at the same time is created through communication and human interaction (Pieper 163). Therefore, the book made me realize the connection between leisure and communication as two essential components of culture.
Metaphor and Argument
One of the central questions of scholarly inquiry guiding the book is studying the relationship between leisure, culture, and divine worship. Furthermore, Pieper examines the nature of work and leisure and the role that bourgeois virtues play in the contemporary world (162). Philosophizing is explored as the ultimate act of leisure, and a related concept of wonder is discussed as central to the process of philosophizing.
The dominant themes in the book are leisure, culture, and philosophical act. According to Pieper, leisure is another kind of work that is incorrectly perceived as “idleness and laziness” by the bourgeois world that promotes aimless suffering, active power, and utilitarian social organization (47). Furthermore, leisure is a foundation of culture and a philosophy of philosophy, both of which are integral to divine worship.
The ideas presented in the book with regard to leisure and work fit into my own philosophical standpoint. Pieper discusses leisure as laziness from a perspective of a worker type, characterized by “an aimless readiness to suffer pain” (47). However, I support the author’s position and believe that leisure refers to a different type of work, non-active and non-utilitarian, but essential to human knowing of oneself as well as culture and communication.
Relevance
The book Leisure, The Basis of Culture provides an important and relevant message that can be applied practically. The most obvious conclusion that can be made from Pieper’s observations presented in his work is the importance of allowing time for non-action and the celebration of life, central to any culture and religion (69). Pieper argues that it results in the combination of three elements, such as “the relaxation, the effortlessness, the ascendancy of “being at leisure” … over mere “function.”” (69). The value of leisure should not be overlooked, even though capitalism prioritizes work over contemplation, insight, and silence.
Another essential principle relevant to the communication study that can be derived from the book is the connection between leisure and philosophical act. Namely, leisure can be viewed as a philosophy of communication and transformative power integral to human nature. One of Pieper’s central ideas emphasizes that leisure constitutes a basis for any culture (163). At the same time, it is known that culture is fostered through human interaction and communication. Therefore, leisure and communication as two essential components of culture. The application of Pieper’s philosophy to communication and leisure can provide valuable insight into human nature and the way communities function.
Work Cited
Pieper, Josef. Leisure, The Basis of Culture. Translated by Gerald Malsbary, St. Augustine’s Press, 1998.