Abstract:
The article is devoted to the consideration and analysis of the phenomenon of labor in
the historical and philosophical context. The article shows the spiritual and moral foundations
of human labor activity, changes and transformation of labor relations throughout history,
civilizational and ethno-confessional differences in the organization of economic activity and
production. The analysis of labor as a moral category is carried out on the basis of an appeal
to the concepts of prominent scientists and thinkers. Thus, the interpretation of labor in the
framework of the ancient and Christian worldview is considered from the understanding of labor
as a punishment for original sin to its assessment as a godly mission, where it is ontological
characteristic of human life. The concept of labor in the theological teaching of Thomas Aquinas is
analyzed in detail. Further, in the conditions of theformation of capitalism, a society of commoditymoney relations in the XVIII-XIX centuries there are significant changes in social status and the
way of work. In these historical circumstances labor becomes a commodity. Particular attention is
paid to the interpretation of the problems of labor in national philosophies. In the development of
Russian social thought in this aspect, one can single out the ideas of S.N. Bulgakov, who, at the
beginning of the twentieth century, analyzing the origins and spiritual factors of the formation of
Russian entrepreneurship, finds its connection with the religiosity of the Old Believers. Kazakh
thinkers also attached great importance to the concept of labor. Great Abai, emphasizing the role
and importance of labor in the formation of the individual and the development of society, reflected this in his famous «Words of Edification». In modern conditions, among the works of Kazakh researchers, where the problems of labor are considered, one can point to the monograph by Omar Zhalel «Hareket». It focuses on etymological differences in word usage, used in the analysis of the work.
