I wanted to ask if anybody could explain what the difference between work and action is?
Furthermore, as I understand, if you do gardening than you do act, but you dont work.
My solution is to say that work is actually a factor of production, while action can be anything. So that work is that part of action in which action is a factor of production.
What do you guys think?
greetings, eugen
Humans act with a purpose. And the sum of these actions create society. Work is from politicians and poor economists trying to convince one group of folks that their desired ends and the actions to achieve those ends are move valuable than some other group.
When Mises uses the term “action”, he means it in a very technical sense. It means doing something as a means to an end. Any end the actor wants. Also, just sitting and doing nothing may sometimes be an action in this technical meaning of the term if it’s a means to an end, for example if the end being relaxing and feeling good.
I think “work” is never used in a technical sense in the book. It usually means doing something that will make you money, as in working for a living. But it depends on the context, of course.
I think that “work” or “labor” is probably just action where you earn money wages.
An action is anything done with a conscious purpose in mind. In this sense going to the bathroom is an action while sneezing is not.
We may define leisure as performing an action which is an end in and of itself, like playing a video game. These are things we do because we enjoy them.
Conversely, we may define labor as an action which is performed as a means to some other end. I go to work so I can have money to buy things that I like.
Under these definitions it is possible to have an action which is both labor and leisure: For example, gardening can not only provide you with an enjoyable pastime, but also has the beneficial side effect of providing fresh vegetables which can be eaten or sold for additional income.