More Ruskin. One of his aims was to distinguish ‘good’ work from ‘diabolic’ work. It may still be relevant. This is slightly edited for ease of reading.
Good work, then, will be, —
a) Letting in light where there was darkness; as especially into poor rooms and back streets; and generally guiding and administering the sunshine wherever we can, by all the means in our power.
And the correspondent Diabolic work is putting a tax on windows, and blocking out the sun’s light with smoke. [Using coal instead of solar for livelihood]
b) Disciplining the falling waters. In the Divine work, this is the ordinance of clouds; in the human, it is properly putting the clouds to service; and first stopping the rain where they carry it from the sea, [or slowing the water’s passage] and then keeping it pure as it flows back to the sea again.
And the correspondent Diabolic work is the arrangement of land so as to throw all the water back to the sea as fast as we can; and putting every sort of filth into the stream as it runs.
c) The separation of earth from water, and planting earth with trees. The correspondent human work is especially clearing morasses, and planting on desert ground.
The correspondent Diabolic work is turning good land and water into mud [or desert]; and cutting down trees that we may drive steam ploughs, etc., etc.
d) The establishment of times and seasons. The correspondent human work is a due watching of the rise and set of stars, and course of the sun; and due administration and forethought of our own annual labours, preparing for them in hope, and concluding them in joyfulness, according to the laws and gifts of Heaven. Which beautiful order is set forth in symbols on all lordly human buildings round the semi-circular arches which are types of the rise and fall of days and years.
And the correspondent Diabolic work is turning night into day with candles, so that we never see the stars; and mixing the seasons up one with another, and having early strawberries, and green peas and the like. [So that all sense of the rhythm of life and the cosmos is lost.]
e) Filling the waters with fish, and air with birds.
The correspondent Diabolic work is poisoning fish, as is done at Coniston, with copper-mining; and catching them for Ministerial and other fashionable dinners when they ought not to be caught; and treating birds — as birds are treated, Ministerially and otherwise.
f) Filling the earth with beasts, properly known and cared for by humans; but chiefly, breathing into the clayey and brutal nature of humanity itself, the Soul, or Love, of God.
The correspondent Diabolic work is shooting and tormenting beasts; and grinding out the soul from the flesh, with machine labour; and then grinding down the flesh, when nothing else is left, into clay, with machines for that purpose such as machine guns, huge cannon, bombs and the like.
These are the six main heads of God’s and the Devil’s work.
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