“Consider a large factory, say one that makes motor cars. The purpose of the organization is to make cars, but the purpose of the workers is to earn wages. Subjectively, there is no common purpose” (Russell 42).
In lecture 4, Russell talks about the technique and conflict of human nature in which he compares man to other animals . Russell starts off by saying that the other animals do things such as building nests, building dams, etc because of instincts, they feel that they have to do them and not really because they have a purpose. Russell then transitions to the conflict early man had with impulses and laboring for means. . Later on in the lecture Russell talks about how war is the easiest harmoniser between private feelings and public interest. This quote shows that even though man now labor for a purpose, they still don’t share a common purpose which I think makes sense based off his lecture 3: The role of individuality. I think the fact that human beings do not all have a common purpose shows their individuality and initiative for the progression of the society .
~Damilola Babarinde~
I disagree with Damilola, I believe animals have a purpose when doing things like building dams and building nests. Their purpose in doing these things is perhaps for survival, to protect themselves. Just like human building houses. We have a purpose when building houses, we want a roof over us and a place to rest in, so we don’t suffer from cold in the winter and things like such. We also have different kinds of security systems to enhance the safety of our homes. However, I do agree that when working on an assembly line, workers could be doing their jobs just for doing the jobs, without having the heart to manufacture a product. And the company’s purpose is to manufacture the goods for sale. So in this case, I agree with Russell on the point that there is no common purpose between workers and the factory.
I think your interpretation of the quote is pretty insightful. Although we all have inherent commonalities and a need for basic survival resources, what makes humans unique is that everyone has a different goal and vision for their life, unlike animals, who all generally share an identical life within their respective species. However, as you propose, a lack of a common goal in the workplace can be detrimental when it comes to innovation and the role of the individual is diminished. The fact that humans don’t share a common goal is definitely both positive and negative, how management can utilize this definitely dictates how efficient and motivated employees are.
-Matthew Epstein