Historical and Philosophical Analysis of the Concept of Decent Work

This article presents a historical and philosophical analysis of the concept of decent work, tracing its evolution from antiquity to the present day. The study focuses on how various philosophical schools and thinkers (Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More, Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, Max Weber, and Hannah Arendt) conceptualized the relationship between labor and personal dignity, social status, and social stratification. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the division of labor into «decent» and «indecent,» considered through the prism of moral, ethical, social, and economic aspects. Based on the analysis of various philosophers’ views, the article offers a synthetic definition of decent work as a humanizing force that promotes the development of human potential, has a meaningful character, and is integrated into society, going beyond a narrowly economic understanding. The work emphasizes the importance of the concept of decent work for understanding human existence in a social context and offers a perspective for rethinking modern models of work organization.