John A. Cuddeback discusses "The Economics of Splitting Wood by Hand." He says that his " ...commitment to purchase neither wood nor hydraulic splitter is at times a sign of contradiction."
On occasions it was pointed out by others that he would save so much more time by purchasing one of those firewood splitters. The rational person, he points out, would assume that because the mechanical splitter saves time it must be the best way to get his firewood.
His desire to hand split his firewood often wavered against the premium value of time. It came to a head finally when someone accused him that what he was doing was not economical. The accuser was basically telling him that the time spent splitting could be put to better use in his writing and lecturing and that he would come out ahead.
John's puzzlement led him to weigh his goals, "Is the goal to make enough money that I can pay others to do all the menial, or manual, activities in my day?" That mentality he states is "...a common, if unrecognized, trap." He mentions injury or sickness as reasons that he might personally turn to purchasing split firewood.
John builds a case defining language of Greek philosophers and concludes by emphasizing the importance of people and his personal satisfaction of self-sufficiency. "But I do assert that to replace a profoundly human form of work simply because one could come out monetarily ahead, or even save time, is..."
Awesome article - Confirms in me that simplicity and hard work are good things
The complete article can be found at: (broken link removed to http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/catholic_stories/cs0587.htm)
John A. Cuddeback is professor of Philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, where he has taught since 1995.
On occasions it was pointed out by others that he would save so much more time by purchasing one of those firewood splitters. The rational person, he points out, would assume that because the mechanical splitter saves time it must be the best way to get his firewood.
His desire to hand split his firewood often wavered against the premium value of time. It came to a head finally when someone accused him that what he was doing was not economical. The accuser was basically telling him that the time spent splitting could be put to better use in his writing and lecturing and that he would come out ahead.
John's puzzlement led him to weigh his goals, "Is the goal to make enough money that I can pay others to do all the menial, or manual, activities in my day?" That mentality he states is "...a common, if unrecognized, trap." He mentions injury or sickness as reasons that he might personally turn to purchasing split firewood.
John builds a case defining language of Greek philosophers and concludes by emphasizing the importance of people and his personal satisfaction of self-sufficiency. "But I do assert that to replace a profoundly human form of work simply because one could come out monetarily ahead, or even save time, is..."
Awesome article - Confirms in me that simplicity and hard work are good things
The complete article can be found at: (broken link removed to http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/catholic_stories/cs0587.htm)
John A. Cuddeback is professor of Philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, where he has taught since 1995.
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based on the quotes from blazin'. Doesn't sound like the author is anti hydraulic splitter, only the notion that he should have one so he can spend time doing something else more worthwhile. To the contrary he feels his time splitting is time well spent. I imagine if you use a splitter to save time so you can do something else he would not object.
