Abstract

The author emphasizes that work 4.0 presents itself as a particular sort of linguistic act which is quite distinct from that characteristic of 'the liberal arts' and distinct, in general, from those involved in the opposition between 'intellectual' and 'manual' labour. In specific terms this linguistic act is a 'performative' linguistic act as defined by J. L. Austin, i.e. an act whose performative 'force' consists in the transformation of the (digital) linguistic programme into 'physical reality' through the use of machine technology such as 3-D Printing. Historically speaking, work 4.0 appears as a form of activity which fundamentally challenges us to move beyond the polarisation between praxis and poiesis, between subordinate work and autonomous work, in a context of linguistic self-realization that opens up the possibility of unprecedented levels of freedom and development for the person who works.