Abstract
The article clarifies the way in which ‘the aesthetic’ is conceptualised in relation to business ethics in order to assess its potential to inform theory building and developmental practices within the business ethics field. A systematic review of relevant literature is undertaken which identifies three ontologically based accounts of the relationship between the aesthetic and business ethics: ‘positive’ ones (in which ‘the good is equated with ‘the beautiful’), ‘negative’ accounts (in which aesthetic craving is seen to foster ethical malfeasance) and ‘Postmodern’ renderings (in which the aesthetic and the ethical are seen to be ideologically informed). Five epistemologically based approaches are also made explicit: those in which the aesthetic is thought to develop enhanced perceptual discernment, those in which the aesthetic catalyses emotional sensitivity, those in which the aesthetic contributes to imaginative capacity, those in which the aesthetic prompts integrative apprehension and those in which the aesthetic is seen to foster critical reflexivity. The review reveals two key findings: firstly, the dearth of empirically based research to substantiate claims made about the aesthetic’s ability to foster ethical capabilities, which leads to proposals for further research; secondly, the analysis indicates the significance of critical reflexivity both in resolving the apparent dichotomy between ontologically based perspectives asserting the aesthetic’s ability to lead to ethically sound or egregious behaviour, and in underpinning the capacities of perceptual discernment, emotional connectivity, imagination and integrative apprehension which epistemologically based approaches assert the aesthetic can foster.
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Notes
The relevance criteria were the following:
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peer-reviewed scholarly articles were included;
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book chapters from ‘scholarly’ publishers were included;
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the content had to deal with issues concerning the intersection of aesthetics and applied ethics (business, medicine, education);
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the content concerned the practice of ethics, as opposed to making judgements about the ethical nature of a work of art for instance.
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Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Dr Hans Bennink, Dr Patricia Gaya, Dr Robin Ladkin and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of this article. Their feedback was invaluable in helping to develop the ideas within the paper.
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Appendix
Appendix
Year of publication | Context | Emp/Th | Aim | Informing theory | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abowitz Moral perception through aesthetic engagement J Teacher Education | 2007 | Education (US) | Theoretical With anecdotal examples from experience of taking students to art gallery | Developmental To provide those in education development with insights into how the arts can heighten moral awareness | Shusterman | Epistemological—Imaginative Capacity |
Bathurst and Edwards Carving our future in a world of possibilities Tamara SI | 2011 | Business | Empirical Case study—Maori/Pakaha treaties | Case building To promote an understanding of how aesthetics and ethics inform one another | Schiller (play) Notions of the sublime (although Kant not mentioned- Burke instead) | Ontological—The ‘beautiful’ = the good |
Bleakley et al. Making sense of clinical reasoning judgement and evidence of senses Med Edu | 2003 | Medicine | Theoretical With examples | Developmental Develop perceptual ‘connoisseurship’ | Foucault | Epistemological—Design discernment |
Blumenfeld-Jones, D Johnson, levinas and sensibility: an aesthetic avenue to ethics? Book chap (White and Constantino) | 2013 | Education | Theoretical | Developmental | Johnson, Levinas | Epistemological—Imaginative capacity, but also The value of ‘presence’ to being alert to the ‘ethical moment’ |
Brady Aesthetic components of management ethics AMR | 1986 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To make the case for aesthetics as a form of ethical know how | Hartshorne Whitehead | Ontological—Aesthetics = Good ‘Management ethics is better understood as Management aesthetics’ |
Brady Aesthetic theory of conflict in admin administration and society | 2006. | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To show the importance of tension within ethical relations | Siegel Scitovsky | Epistemological—Design discernment |
Caranfa Awakening of aesthetic sensibility J of Phil Edu | 2007 | Education | Theoretical | Developmental How solitude is an important ingredient of education | Whitehead CS Lewis | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity |
Carr Moral values and the arts in env edu J of Phil of Edu | 2004 | Education | Theoretical | Case building To make the case that environmental education can benefit from the fostering of aesthetic sensibility | Aristotle | Epistemological—Emotional engagement |
Collier Art of moral imagination/architecture JBE | 2001 | Business (Architecture) | Theoretical With examples | Developmental To show how the aesthetic can aid in the development of moral imagination | Johnson Fesmire Dewey | Epistemological—Imaginative capacity |
Cummings Aesthetics of existence as alt to bus ethics Book chap (Linstead and Hopfl) | 2000 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To suggest that the art of living well should serve as an objective of ethics | Foucault | Ontological—Post modern |
Dobson Aesthetics as basis for business activity JBE | 2007 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building The ultimate judge for business activity should be the aesthetic | Kant | Ontological—The aesthetic = Good |
Dobson Aesth style as post structuralist bus ethics JBE | 2010 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To develop the notion of the aesthetic theory of the firm | Kant | Ontological—The aesthetic = Good |
Dobson An aesth theory of firm Book chap (Koehn and Elm) | 2014 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To develop the notion of the aesthetic theory of the firm | Kant | Ontological—The aesthetic = Good |
Duwell Aesthetics and medical ethics Med Healthcare and Philosophy | 1999 | Medicine | Theoretical | Developmental Use the aesthetic to develop critical reflexivity | Kant Dewey Foucault | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity |
Elm The artist and ethicist: character and proc Book chap (Koehn and Elm) | 2014 | Business | Theoretical | Developmental Suggests that ‘being in the present, passion and emotion, creating a holistic vision and practice –all things artists do—can assist ethical decision making processes | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity (artistic reflexivity) | |
Ewenstein and Whyte Aesthetic knowledge org studies | 2007 | Business | Empirical Case study | Developmental The need for ‘aesthetic reflexivity’ and how architects use it | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity | |
Green Business ethics as post modern phen BEQ | 1993 | Business | Theoretical | Case building Ethics and aesthetics both post modern in their rejection of grand narratives and desire to include multiple voices | Ontological—Post modern | |
Issa and Pick Ethical mindsets JBE | 2010 | Business. | Empirical | Case building Identify the ‘components of business ethics’—the aesthetic is one | Epistemological—Design discernment | |
Issa and Pick Aesth, spirituality and ethics in case study Bus Eth Eur Review | 2011 | Business | Empirical | Case building Identify the ‘components’ of business ethics—‘the aesthetic’ is one | Epistemological—Design discernment | |
Kersten When aesth craving becomes bad Cult & Org | 2008 | Business | Theoretical | Case Building To show how ungrounded imagination can lead to aesthetic craving | Kateb | Ontological—The aesthetic leads to bad |
Kimbell An aesth enquiry into some rats and people Tamara | 2011 | Business Arts | Empirical Case study | Case building To show how the intersection of aesthetics and ethics works in practice—and how her artwork changed due to the ethical consideration she felt as a result of getting to know rats better | Ranciere | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity as per Ranciere |
Koehn Eth darkness made vis Book chap (Koehn and Elm) | 2014 | Business | Empirical Case study | Developmental To show how film can help develop moral imagination and also promote critical reflexivity | Epistemological—Imaginative capacity and critical reflexivity | |
Koehn Ethics, morality art in classroom JBEE | 2010 | Business | Theoretical | Developmental To make the case that art can be used to enhance moral discernment and judgement | Plato, Hegel, Schelling | Epistemological—Perceptual discernment, emotional, Imaginative AND critical reflexivity/integrative apprehension |
Koehn and Elm Aesthetics and business ethics, introduction Book chap (Koehn and Elm) | 2014 | Business | Theoretical | Case building To suggest the relevance of aesthetics to ethics | Ontological—The aesthetic leads to the good | |
Kokkos Aesthetic experience in transformative edu J of Trans Edu | 2010 | Education | Theoretical | Developmental To show the value of aesthetic experience in the form of looking at art objects to transformative education | Friere | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity |
Ladkin What artists can teach us about perceiving correctly Tamara | 2012 | Business. | Theoretical | Developmental To show how practices undertaken by musicians are akin to those needed in ethical judgement | Kant | Epistemological—Imaginative capacity |
Moberg and Seabright Dev of moral imagination BEQ | 2000 | Business | Theoretical | Case building To show importance of moral imagination in making ethical judgements | Scott Williams | Epistemological—Emotional connectivity |
Storesletten et al. Dev ldshp in the Kierkegaard JBE | 2014 | Business | Theoretical | Case building To demonstrate how Kierkegaard’s 3 modes of existence can contribute to leadership theory | Kierkegaard | Ontological-Aesthetics lead to hedonism |
Taylor and Elms Aesth and Ethics, can’t have one without the other Tamara | 2011 | Business | Theoretical Intro to SI | Case Building To introduce the SI, and show interweaving of aesthetic and ethical | Ontological—The beautiful = the good | |
Waddock Finding wisdom within—seeing and refl practice in dev moral imag JBEE | 2010 | Business | Theoretical With examples from her teaching | Developmental To show connection between ethics, aesthetics and wisdom and the kinds of practices she uses in the classroom to develop these | Epistemological—Design discernment and moral imagination | |
Waddock Wisdom & resp ldshp, aesth sens, moral imag and sys thinking Book chap (Koehn and Elm) | 2014 | Business | Theoretical | Developmental | Epistemological—Critical reflexivity (systems thinking, integrative) |
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Ladkin, D. ‘The Aesthetic’ and Its Relationship to Business Ethics: Philosophical Underpinnings and Implications for Future Research. J Bus Ethics 147, 35–51 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2928-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2928-2