Abstract

Within Roman Catholic social teaching, work has always been understood as a key component in social life that fundamentally influences and shapes the world. Within this understanding, especially as articulated by John Paul II, work is presented as the essential key to the whole social question. As a key to the social question, work can be understood as an activity that exclusively and specifically belongs to the human person. It is partly because of the performance of work that the human person is distinguished from the rest of the creatures. ;While work provides means for the person's livelihood, more significantly, it helps the person to discover the meaning of life and existence. For John Paul II, through work, the human person is invited to take part both in God's creation and in Christ's work of redemption. By participating in divine work, especially in Christ's death and resurrection, the human person discovers not only the meaning of existence, but also the genuine essence of work itself. For Nyerere, work, besides being an activity that is essential for individual and societal survival, is a communal activity. The communal character of work is shown especially through the social obligation to work but also through public ownership of property and control of means of production. ;The purpose of this thesis is to study critically the meaning of work as understood by John Paul II, but with special reference to his encyclical Laborem Exercens. In addition, this thesis gives special attention to the political writings of Julius Nyerere with the intention of presenting an African perspective of work