Human Work was published by McClure, Phillips & Company in 1904. The book presents Gilman’s philosophy of labor in its most complete form. Her central argument: work — the transformation of the environment through conscious effort — is the defining characteristic of humanity. All human progress results from work; all social organization exists to coordinate work; and the fundamental injustice of civilization is not the unequal distribution of wealth but the unequal valuation of different kinds of work.
Specifically: “women’s work” (domestic labor, childcare, emotional maintenance) is real work — as productive and as socially necessary as any other form — but is unpaid, invisible, and devalued because it is performed by women in the private sphere. “Men’s work” (commerce, industry, government) is valued precisely because it is performed by men in the public sphere, regardless of its actual social utility.
Gilman argues for a reconceptualization: all work that serves human welfare is equally valuable. The mother, the teacher, the farmer, the builder, the doctor — all are engaged in “human work.” The speculator, the advertiser, the arms manufacturer — all are engaged in parasitic activity that creates no real value. A just economy would reward the former and discourage the latter.
Collecting Human Work
First edition (McClure, Phillips, New York, 1904): Cloth boards.
Market values:
- First edition, fine: $150–$400
- Very good: $60–$150