The Ideal of Craftmanship: C. Wright

 

Essay: The Ideal of Craftsmanship by C. Wright Mills

About the essayist

C. Wright Mills (1916–1962) was an American sociologist, intellectual, and professor who played a pivotal role in shaping sociological thought in the mid-20th century. Born on August 28, 1916, in Waco, Texas, Mills earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Mills' influential works, such as "The Power Elite" (1956) and "The Sociological Imagination (1959), critiqued the concentration of power among political, economic, and military elites in the United States. He advocated for a sociological perspective that connected personal troubles to public issues, urging individuals to understand the broader social and historical context.

His career was cut short by his untimely death on March 20, 1962. Despite his relatively short life, Mills left a lasting impact on sociology and remains a key figure in the study of power, class, and societal structures.

The Main Gist of the Essay

As the title suggests, this essay deals with some ideas related to the craftsmanship. Here, the craftsman is a person who makes beautiful things by hand like painting, wood carving, stone carving, making beautiful statues, composing music, and writing literature, and creatineal of craftsmanship refers to the guiding principles of a craftsman that make him so skillful, hard-working, and satisfied. So this essay is about the basic principles of a craftsman that make him so much devoted to his work. Craftsmen create art, and people enjoy looking at it. The craftsman gets pleasure in creating, and the people get pleasure in looking at it. Such pleasure the art provides is called aesthetic pleasure. 

Summary of the Essay 

In this essay, the writer discusses the guiding principles that make an artist so hardworking, creative, and satisfied. He talks about how they create art and what encourages them to be involved in such work. He says that the artist gets great pleasure in creation, which does not let him think about any other thing than the product. He is not interested in money and material things even though life is difficult for him. In the same way, the writer says that there are six major features of the craftsmanship:

i.            Work gratification or pleasure at work: According to the writer, why is an artist so devoted to his work that he gets more pleasure in his creation? The hope of getting pleasure from his product pays continuous attention to the quality and completion of his art. It creates a will to work spontaneously on a particular project of his art. All other motives, like earning money and improving his lifestyle, are not focused. After the work is completed, he gets a kind of pleasure and satisfaction, which is called work gratification.

ii.            The tie between the Product and the Producer: Another working principle of an artist is the psychological tie between his mind and his product. All the time, even after so many years, the artist thinks that it is his art and its ownership goes to him. Sometimes, he does not have legal ownership of his art because he is paid for that, but his psychology believes that it is his own. He never stops to think so. Of course, he also gets consumer satisfaction, but his creator satisfaction is greater.

iii.            Freedom to Control His Work: The craftsman is always free to begin, design, or modify his work, whether paid art or preordered. He has the freedom to make plans, how to begin, and how to accomplish them. Both plan and performance are one for him because he is the master of his art. His problems and difficulties during the making should be dealt with by himself alone.

iv.            Learning from His Work and Developing His Skill: The craftsman's work is a continuous process of learning from his work and developing his skill until his death. The more he creates, the more he learns, and the better his product is. Such cumulative skill is obtained by his devotion and practice. An artist is a self-taught craftsman at a higher level. Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci did not have superior teachers.

v.            No Split of Work and Play: For the ideal craftsman, there is no difference between his work and play. He feels as if he is playing nicely while he is working on his art. It is an activity done for himself, exercised for his sake, not for economic value or any ulterior purpose. He also compares his work with culture. The means of being better cultured is his work. Work is the means, and culture is the end.     

vi.            Craftsmanship Determines the Mode of Living:    Finally, the writer says that artists never flee from their work into a separate sphere of leisure. All the time, day and night, they think about their work but still, they do not have stress. Instead, they have happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure in life. Art and artists are never separated. His work of art is his faithful daily companion. Apart from mere animal rest, he is always with his art, which makes him peaceful and calm both mentally and physically. So, his work determines his mode of living.

 

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a.     'Play is something you do to be happily occupied, but if work occupies you happily, it is also play. ' Do you agree? Why?  Relate the answer with the essay 'The Ideal of Craftsmanship' by Wright Mills.'

I agree with the idea that if work occupies you happily, it can also be considered play. This concept aligns with the themes presented in Wright Mills's essay "The Ideal of Craftsmanship." Mills emphasizes the value of deriving satisfaction and fulfillment from one's work, akin to the pleasure and engagement one finds in play.

In "The Ideal of Craftsmanship," Mills discusses the importance of taking pride in one’s work and the joy that comes from mastering a craft. He argues that the ideal of craftsmanship involves a deep connection between the worker and their work, where the process is as fulfilling as the end result. This perspective blurs the line between work and play, suggesting that when work is approached with passion, creativity, and dedication, it transcends the traditional notion of laborious effort and becomes an enjoyable activity.

When individuals are deeply engaged and find happiness in their work, they experience a sense of flow, similar to that found in play. This state of flow, where one is fully immersed and focused, leads to a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. The intrinsic motivation and satisfaction derived from the work make it feel less like a chore and more like an engaging and pleasurable activity.

Therefore, the distinction between work and play diminishes when one finds joy and fulfillment in one's work. This concept, championed by Mills, encourages a shift in how we perceive work, advocating for a more holistic and fulfilling approach to our professional lives.

 

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