Locke’s Virtue Theory of Labor

Abstract

This paper considers labor as forming a part of Locke’s conception of what it means to live well. More specifically, the author believes Locke’s view of labor arises out of his conception of virtue as a principle of activity, and specifically as a principle of socially useful and other-regarding activity. Virtue requires the attainment of a host of character traits, including a well-tuned capacity for rational self-government, a measured demeanor, an appreciation of the health of one’s relationships and the obligations arising therefrom, and taking the well-being of one’s society as a personal responsibility. For Locke, it is argued, the act of labor represents far more than the production of material goods and services; how we understand our duty to labor ought to arise out of a more general conception of what it means to be a fully realized human being. The author’s approach therefore aims to look at what, for Locke, a life devoted to virtue looks like and how his work ethic fits into that picture.