Faculty of Humanities
School of Basic Social Sciences
Department of Philosophy
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The aim of this research project, entitled Overcoming resentment: remarks on the supra-moral ethic of Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt, was to explore some points of convergence between these two thinkers. The research found that both these philosophers consider a truly ethical or virtuous life to be one that displays strength of character and generosity of spirit (magnanimity). Hence, their basic concern is to devise strategies to overcome resentment. Despite mutual differences regarding such strategies (notably with regard to the importance or unimportance of the political), they both agree that overcoming resentment means first and foremost freeing oneself from the grip of the moralistic and egalitarian view of life. Moral sentiments such as pity and compassion should never be taken as the spring or fountainhead of virtue. When moral attitudes and issues such as social injustice and inequality are allowed to dominate public life, this will inevitably lead to the destruction of the basic conditions for a life of freedom and virtue, that is, a life characterised by excellent, virtuosic action
Contact person: Prof MJ Schoeman.
In recent years, a succession of corporate scandals has rocked the international business community. As a result, many companies have invested considerable time, money and effort in developing ethics management programmes. However, in many cases, such programmes are nothing more than insurance policies against corporate liability, designed merely to limit the fallout of scandals should they occur. Dr Mollie Painter-Morland conducted a research project entitled In Business Ethics as Practice. She redefines the typical seven step ethics management programmes from within, challenging the reader to reconsider what is possible in each aspect of this process. In doing so, she draws on the insights of Aristotle, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault and numerous contemporary organisational theorists and sociologists to create the space for the emergence of a morally responsive corporate ethos. The main thrust of the argument is that moral decisions do not result from deliberate ‘rational’ ethical decision-making. Instead, it is the result of tacit knowledge that emerges over time in interaction with others in a specific organisational context. Since much of what informs ethics in organisations relates to knowledge and beliefs that people may not even know they have, ethics training that seeks to draw on explicitly stated principles and deliberate decision-making strategies has little effect. Instead, one has to engage people’s tacit belief systems and involve them as embodied, emotional and relational beings. Most importantly, one has to develop a keen eye for the value orientations that emerge in the everyday practices of organisations. The existence of certain rituals, artifacts, heroes, budgets, performance management systems and perceptions of success play a much more important role in an organisation’s ethics than its formal code of conduct
Contact person: Prof MJ Painter-Morland.
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