Work, creativity and social justice

It may not seem immediately clear why these papers should have been published together. They deal with such apparently diverse matters as artistic creativity, industrial work, economics, psycho-analysis, law, groups, management, measurement, and science. But in fact they all have to do with one pattern of interconnected themes that of work, creativity, and social justice.

Work and creativity do not follow from any special academic discipline. It is rather the other way round. We need a multi plicity of disciplines to help us understand the processes of work and creativity. We then avoid the pitfalls of viewpoints that are too restricted, and we gain some insight as to the true nature of these important human processes. They are psychological processes, with deep unconscious roots; they are part of econo mic life; they may occur in solitude or in the setting of groups or under management; they can be rewarded more equitably if measured, and they need to be considered together, since all work is creative and all creativity is work.