Applied Humanism - in Business

What's Humanistic about Humanistic Management? Clause Dierksmeier has an excellent article in the Humanistic Management Journal that I think is worth reading. It's a LONG article, but worth the time and effort to read.

It is wonky - but the final section is about practical application for this philosophy with the emphasis on understanding the role ethics plays in how business decisions are made.

Here is a link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41463-016-0002-6 

Even if you aren't interesting in business, economics impacts you. The philosophies and ideas of economists impact our politics. Understanding what underlies those philosophies - in many cases - different opinions about what freedom means - will help you make sense of the arguments being made in the political sphere and that are driving business decisions.

This article is fascinating because, while it is rather wonky, the discussion about the difference between quantitative freedom and qualitative freedom is fascinating and underpins debates between libertarian, liberal and conservative politics. This article really does a good job of breaking down these arguments to their core basis and clarifies what is being debated and why.

From a Humanist perspective I found the section on using the unconditional dignity of humans as the foundation upon which the philosophy is built - to be spot on. Clause covers the history of the concept of human dignity. Humanists, of course, based on the concept of human dignity on autonomy of freedom. And again, the discussion of this is fascinating.

In the section on deep ecology - he coins a term I now love. One of the complaints about Humanism has always been that it seems anthropocentric. While any Humanist will tell you isn't true, it is something we have to repeatedly explain. Clause makes the case that Humanism is anthroporelational not anthropocentric and I really like that concept.

Finally, he addresses the globalist nature of the humanist project, discussing research on the global nature of ethics and talking about the benefits of cosmopolitanism.

This is a seriously meaty essay and well worth reading.

Enjoy.

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