Il lavoro: una categoria transeunte?

This short paper introduces the issue of the POI review which is dedicated to the historical changes in the category of work, examining the different relations which "work" has had with contemplation (otium), free time, consumption, game, care, in the run of time. The paper shows the difficulties to apply the classical economic and sociological paradigmas concernent work (Smith, Marx, Durkheim. Weber) to the emerging dimension of social life in the XXI. Century