Business Leadership and Human Values

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Terms and concepts: Building blocks of values discourse

As you move through this course, you may encounter terms that may be unfamiliar. A powerful vocabulary is a tool for powerful communication. You can build your lexicon of terms for values discourse and define them using the reference tools listed above. Because language is dynamic, you may encounter terms that are not in the reference sources; this is an opportunity for you to contribute your own thoughts to the evolving lexicon of values discourse.

TERM

DEFINITION / NOTES

MODELS AND FRAMEWORKS

Conceptual models and frameworks are building blocks of thought and discourse about values. In Theme 2 you will examine the concept of moral foundations and throughout the course you will explore a variety of conceptual models, frameworks, and schemas that have been drawn from various disciplines to explain, illustrate, and clarify understanding of values and morality. Your ability to tap into the power of shared values will greatly enhance your abilities and effectiveness as a leader.

Effective leaders create value through others. They use the power of shared values to inspire, motivate, and support purposeful action through their personal example and honed skills of deliberation, evaluation, communication, and persuasion. You are encouraged to use this section of the Guidebook to develop a rich conceptual framework of moral foundations. You are also encouraged to enhance your moral foundations with resources available to you through intellectual traditions, professional associations, religious affiliations, and media as well as your own network of friends, family, and colleagues.

To get you started, Theme 0 invites you to revisit the Aristotelian concept of the Golden Mean as a framework for thinking about human behavior as good, bad, right, or wrong.

Ethics and morality: The Good and the Right

People sometimes confuse the terms “ethics” and “morality”—both terms are derived from Greek and Latin words to describe the values and customs of a community and are frequently used interchangeably in popular discourse. You may think of ethics as a more objective, rational approach to values, while thinking of morality as more religious or even negative, with reference to specific character traits or vices such as greed, licentiousness, and corruption. You may want to adopt more precise meanings of morality and ethics as they are used in moral philosophy in which morality is a subset of ethics.

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What is considered good (or bad) also defines what is right (or wrong), but much of what is good or excellent does not involve a moral judgment. A painting or meal may be excellent simply by aesthetic or culinary standards. Introducing nutritional or health standards in evaluating a meal also introduces grounds for moral judgment if one considers healthy eating as a moral duty or virtue—or access to healthy food a moral claim imposing duties of justice and fairness on society.

Value judgments

Values involve judgments. In a diverse, multicultural environment, people are sometimes reluctant to make—or talk about—their judgments for fear of being perceived as biased and judgmental. On the other hand, it is impossible to think or communicate clearly about values without considering value judgments. It is therefore important to develop a sound foundation on which to base your judgments. One example is Aristotle’s classic schema of the Golden Mean. It conceptualizes virtue as a pathway of moderation in pursuit of a happy, fulfilling life.

For over two thousand years, Aristotle’s ideas about virtue and character have influenced western ideas of the ethics and morality. His concept of the Golden Mean as a balance between deficiency and excess has guided people in cultivating virtue. Aristotle’s moral philosophy emphasizes the role of practice in cultivating character—humans become virtuous or vicious through repeated patterns of practice. The Golden Mean is an easily accessible guide for navigating the extremes of natural inclinations by adhering to a path of moderation. If you quibble with nomenclature of deficiency and excess—ideas can get lost in translation—think of how you would define the extremes of deficiency and excess in relation to virtues.

Even before Aristotle, Confucius developed a philosophy of life that has been followed by Chinese peoples for over two thousand years. Confucianism is a worldview, social ethic, and way of life that is deeply rooted in human communities and relationships. A holistic system of values, Confucian thought associates emotions and virtues with material elements and bodily organs. The modern practice of acupuncture is based on a Confucian worldview.

In the Practice section of this guidebook section, you will find schemas and reflection exercises that may be useful to think about in clarifying your own value judgments and practices of virtue. Although Aristotle and Confucius are two notable examples, there are many other ancient time-tested schemas for thinking and talking about values, value judgments, and the practice of virtue oriented towards building a good life and society.

PRACTICE

The Practice sections of the guidebook includes methods, exercises, and other tools for you to practice ethical expertise. Every theme includes new practices for you to try, usually in the form of critical reflection exercises or action templates.

Template: Critical Reading (Worksheet in Blackboard)

You are individually responsible for completing all required content for each theme. Close reading and listening is essential for understanding and participating in rigorous discussion of ideas and values. Your individual performance will be observed and evaluated every week. Do not be silent!

Critical engagement with content is an inner dialogue with an author/speaker: Rather than passively absorbing content, you listen, question, and reflect as you go along. It is a good practice to write out your understanding of the reading in your own words. To get the most out of the material in the course, it is best practice to prepare a one-paragraph response to each content element of the seminar (readings, resources, frameworks). Draw from your statement and critical notes to complete assignments and participate in seminar discussions so your performance reflects full understanding of the material.