Economics, philosophy and the neglect of labour
This seminar brings together two perspectives connected to Geoff Kay’s work and its continuing significance.
Economics, philosophy and the neglect of labour
03 Jun 2026, 17:30 – 19:15
William Dixon will outline Kay and Mott’s central argument that modern economics and philosophy rest on a distorted view of labour, focusing on the separation of needs and capacities in the concept of labour power, showing how this obscures the purposive nature of human activity.
Jan Derry will reflect on the influence of Kay’s work on her own thinking, drawing connections with inferentialism and suggesting both labour and learning are best understood as reason and end-governed practices rather than as merely causal or measurable processes.
PESGB seminar series
This event is part of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB) seminar series. PESGB is a learned society that promotes the study, teaching and application of philosophy of education. Its London Branch hosts seminars every Wednesday in conjunction with the Centre for Philosophy of Education. These seminars are led by national and international scholars in the field, covering a wide range of issues of educational and philosophical concern.
All are welcome to attend.
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andreswd via iStock.
William Dixon
Academic and writer
His work argues that economic behaviour is fundamentally moral in character, rather than reducible to means–ends rationality: human activity is enabled by a power that is itself moral.
He publishes on the history and philosophy of economics.
She works on philosophical psychology and the relationship between epistemology and pedagogy. Her research draws on inferentialism and Vygotskian approaches.
Further information
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