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Work and The Most Terrible Life

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Abstract

Tolstoy’s Iván Ilých lies near death, regretting a terrible life but unaware of what he could have done differently while alive. Although motivated to work for all the wrong reasons–money, self-esteem, social acceptance, and escape from home–by all formal accounts he has been a highly responsible professional. This analysis of a work about work illustrates the relationship between meaningful work, professional responsibility, and meaningful life.

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Correspondence to Christopher Michaelson.

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Michaelson, C. Work and The Most Terrible Life. J Bus Ethics 77, 335–345 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9353-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9353-0

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