Love for the Profession as a Means of Overcoming Alienation: Anthropological and Historical-Philosophical Aspects

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the phenomenon of love for one’s profession as a means of overcoming alienation within the historical-philosophical paradigm. To achieve this aim, the method of hermeneutic analysis of the conceptual positions of various thinkers regarding the understanding of love as the foundation for overcoming alienation is applied. The analytical and synthetic methods were used to reveal the significance of love for the profession in philosophical discourse, drawing on the general theoretical concepts of the thinkers.

The article establishes that a person who loves their profession will not only feel happier through the fulfillment of their own spiritual needs, but will also respond more resiliently to life’s challenges and crises. By daily realizing spiritual aspirations and the creativity of the Self through their chosen profession, the individual will be able not only to effectively manifest the true Self, overcoming self-alienation, but also to reduce the sense of social alienation by understanding and accepting the value of themselves and their profession in the social context.
Based on the study of religious and philosophical discourse, it is demonstrated that the understanding of love as an important mechanism for overcoming alienation is realized through a number of concepts: “congenial labor,” which corresponds to the immanent aspirations of the human soul (H. Skovoroda); labor as creative activity necessary for society (K. Marx); the communicative nature of professional activity (V. Frankl); professional orientations as care for the body and health (Z. Freud); care and comfort of professional activity through regulation of its schedule, regime, and social package (E. Fromm); understanding the true essence of profession in unity with the principle of human responsibility (Sadhguru); “reasonable egoism” in understanding profession through the rejection of exaggerated social expectations or the perception of the profession by others (Osho).

It is substantiated that a person’s orientation toward considering these concepts through choosing a profession they love can help them find a connection with their true Self. By embodying the creative and artistic aspirations of the soul in professional activity, a person, through love for their profession, can overcome alienation through the experience of true happiness, while simultaneously ensuring their own survival through the implementation of the mechanism “work–well-being.”