\u201cWhat do you want to be when you grow up? A scientist? An astronaut? A football player?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a question almost all of us were asked as children.\nIt belongs to those childhood rituals that seem harmless, yet already carry a deep cultural imprint.
From an early age, we watch adults spend most of their days away from home, absorbed in something called work.\nIt\u2019s inevitable that this constant, almost invisible presence soon becomes a cornerstone of our imagination: to grow up means to work.
It\u2019s no surprise, then, that even our national identity is carved from the same myth.\nArticle 1 of the Italian Constitution declares, with solemn pride:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cItaly is a democratic Republic, founded on work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if work has become, for each of us, a destiny that accompanies us from childhood, here it becomes much more than that: the very foundation of an entire political community.\nThe Republic is not founded on freedom, on justice, on care, or on community \u2014 but on work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the war, following years of devastation, there was an obvious need for dignity and reconstruction.\nMaking work the foundation of the new democracy meant restoring respect to an impoverished and exhausted population, giving centrality to citizens\u2019 active participation, and marking a clear distance from fascism.\nBut that dignity was immediately filtered through the lens of the industrial paradigm: the human being as a producer, society as a machine to be restarted.\nWork was no longer merely a means of subsistence \u2014 it became a measure of human worth, consecrated as collective identity.
Here emerges Gramsci\u2019s lesson: hegemony is not only political or economic \u2014 it is cultural.\nA social order truly takes root when it becomes common language, worldview, common sense.\nArticle 1 is not just a legal statement; it is a symbolic device that engraved in people\u2019s consciousness the idea that work is the supreme good \u2014 an unquestionable value.
And this is not an Italian anomaly.\nAcross the modern world \u2014 from American capitalism to Soviet socialism, from European welfare to post-colonial development rhetoric \u2014 work has been erected as the foundation of the social contract.\nEvery political culture may have changed its flag, but it has kept the same dogma: the value of a human being is measured by their capacity to produce.
It is a planetary paradigm, one that has colonized consciousness so deeply that it now seems natural, inevitable.
Thus, the citizen comes to identify primarily through their productive identity \u2014 not as a member of a community, not as a keeper of relationships, but as a worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And yet, work has not always been synonymous with toil.\nFor millennia, in hunter-gatherer societies, the activities necessary for life were experienced as part of a rich, cooperative, often playful social fabric.\nMarshall Sahlins called them \u201cthe original affluent society\u201d \u2014 not because they had much, but because they desired little, and that little was easily within reach.
Peter Gray has shown how their \u201cwork\u201d was play: not excessive (around 30\u201340 hours a week), always varied, carried out in groups, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 chosen freely.\nNo notion of wage justice, no productive constraint: value resided in sharing.
With the agricultural and industrial paradigms, however, work became obligatory toil \u2014 a measure of merit and a tool for survival.\nFrom that point on, our modern idea of work as necessity and sacrifice took shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some thinkers have sought to dismantle this myth, exposing its ecological and social consequences.\nSerge Latouche and Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen denounced the link between infinite work, infinite growth, and entropy.\nPhilippe Godard put it bluntly: more work does not mean more life \u2014 it means more destruction of the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other possibilities \u2014 a provocation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And so the question becomes inevitable:\nif work is not a good in itself, but a historical construction that today fuels consumption and destruction, why do we still consider it the foundation of our civil coexistence? And what if it said, \u201cfounded on gift\u201d?<\/em>We would have acknowledged that life does not rest on calculation and reward, but on the gratuity that flows through every society \u2014 the time we give, the hospitality we offer, the knowledge we share, the generosity that arises spontaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or again: \u201cfounded on community.\u201d<\/em>The Republic not as a sum of individuals who produce, but as a living fabric of people who coexist, cooperate, and build together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are not rhetorical exercises.\nTo change the founding word is to change the imaginary.\nThe symbolic bases upon which we build our institutions shape our relationship with time, with nature, and with ourselves.\nChoosing work has solidified the paradigm of endless production.\nChoosing care, gift, or community would have opened other paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us then return to Article 1: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cItaly is a democratic Republic, founded on work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those words, born as a promise of redemption, now sound more like a constraint.\nA Republic founded on work is a Republic founded on fatigue, on production, on debt toward a system that demands ever more output. And this is not a reflection limited to Italy.\nIt is the urgency of our time \u2014 in every corner of the world where the myth of work continues to replace the care of life.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Che lavoro vuoi fare da grande? Lo scienziato? L’astronauta? Il calciatore?” \u00c8 una domanda che quasi tutti ci siamo sentiti rivolgere da bambini. Fa parte di quei rituali dell’infanzia che sembrano innocui, eppure custodiscono gi\u00e0 un’impronta culturale profonda. Sin da piccoli osserviamo gli adulti passare gran parte delle loro giornate lontano da casa, assorbiti da […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":267088026,"featured_media":279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8630348,2367,2372,8630349,8630350,798,8630337],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antonio-gramsci","category-cultura","category-economia","category-marshall-sahlins","category-peter-gray","category-politica","category-serge-latouche"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgD05o-2b","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":442,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2026\/09\/12\/9-fosfato-e-nulla-piu\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":0},"title":"9. Phosphate and nothing more.","author":"Homo (Semi) Liber","date":"September 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Uno dei luoghi con il pi\u00f9 alto tasso di obesit\u00e0 e diabete al mondo \u00e8 una piccola isola del Pacifico grande poco pi\u00f9 di venti chilometri quadrati. Gran parte del cibo arriva da fuori, spesso sotto forma di prodotti industriali e ad alta densit\u00e0 calorica: carni lavorate, noodles istantanei, bevande\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antropologia"","block_context":{"text":"Antropologia","link":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/category\/antropologia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/752B4591-E91D-45F5-BB45-FA614150E504.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/752B4591-E91D-45F5-BB45-FA614150E504.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/752B4591-E91D-45F5-BB45-FA614150E504.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/752B4591-E91D-45F5-BB45-FA614150E504.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/752B4591-E91D-45F5-BB45-FA614150E504.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":203,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2025\/11\/03\/la-dipendenza-dellindipendenza\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":1},"title":"6. 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L\u2019idea di chiudersi la porta alle spalle e\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antropologia"","block_context":{"text":"Antropologia","link":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/category\/antropologia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/66e08b36-4fd6-4ea7-a7e5-bbeb7226e45d.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/66e08b36-4fd6-4ea7-a7e5-bbeb7226e45d.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/66e08b36-4fd6-4ea7-a7e5-bbeb7226e45d.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/66e08b36-4fd6-4ea7-a7e5-bbeb7226e45d.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/66e08b36-4fd6-4ea7-a7e5-bbeb7226e45d.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":275,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2026\/01\/12\/quando-la-vera-malattia-e-non-vedere-la-malattia\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":2},"title":"7. Quando la vera malattia \u00e8 non vedere la malattia","author":"Homo (Semi) Liber","date":"January 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cPrima di guarire qualcuno, chiedigli se \u00e8 disposto a rinunciare alle cose che lo hanno fatto ammalare.\u201d\u2014\u00a0attribuita a Ippocrate Quando qualcosa nel nostro corpo non va, di solito facciamo una cosa semplice: cerchiamo di far passare il fastidio.Un mal di testa? Un analgesico.Un\u2019insonnia? Qualcosa per dormire.Un bruciore allo stomaco? Un\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Confini Planetari"","block_context":{"text":"Confini Planetari","link":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/category\/confini-planetari\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-12-2026-at-01_46_41-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-12-2026-at-01_46_41-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-12-2026-at-01_46_41-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-12-2026-at-01_46_41-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-12-2026-at-01_46_41-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":297,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2026\/02\/02\/8-il-paesaggio-che-non-interroghiamo\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":3},"title":"8. 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Non devo interpretarlo: l\u2019ho gi\u00e0 imparato.So cosa \u00e8 \u201cuna strada\u201d, cosa \u00e8 \u201cun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antonio Gramsci"","block_context":{"text":"Antonio Gramsci","link":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/category\/antonio-gramsci\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-31-2026-at-06_37_33-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-31-2026-at-06_37_33-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-31-2026-at-06_37_33-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-31-2026-at-06_37_33-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-31-2026-at-06_37_33-PM.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":130,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2025\/10\/13\/il-tempo-rotto\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":4},"title":"4. 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Non chiedeva di essere risparmiato, n\u00e9 investito.Si donava, si apriva, ci si giocava.Poi arriv\u00f2 l\u2019uomo della macchina,e gli mise le ruote, al tempo.Fu tagliato a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antropologia"","block_context":{"text":"Antropologia","link":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/category\/antropologia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/il_tempo_rotto.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/il_tempo_rotto.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/il_tempo_rotto.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/il_tempo_rotto.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbitalibera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/il_tempo_rotto.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100,"url":"https:\/\/orbitalibera.com\/en\/2025\/10\/06\/il-giglio-e-il-capitale\/","url_meta":{"origin":135,"position":5},"title":"3. 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Perhaps because we can no longer imagine alternatives.
And yet, as hunter-gatherer societies remind us, there are other ways of conceiving human activity \u2014 based on play, sharing, and freedom.
Let us imagine, for a moment, that Article 1 of the Constitution had chosen a different word.
What would have changed if it said:
\u201cItaly is a democratic Republic, founded on care\u201d<\/em>?
The foundation would no longer be productive effort, but mutual responsibility: care for life, for relationships, for the ecosystem.\nCitizens would no longer be valued as workers, but as stewards of community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps it is time for a new foundation.
Not on work, but on life.
Not on labor, but on care.
Not on production, but on community.
A Republic founded on life would recognize finitude, embrace vulnerability, and measure wealth not in endless growth, but in the quality of relationships and shared existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n