Organization, Society and Politics: An Aristotelian Perspective PDF
Preview Organization, Society and Politics: An Aristotelian Perspective
Organization, Society and Politics A lso byyK evin Morrell THE ETHICAL BUSINESS ( with K. Mellahi and G. Wood ) THE REALITIES OF WORK (forthcoming, with P. Blyton and M. Noonn) Organization, Society and Politics An Aristotelian Perspective Kevin Morrell Associate Professor of Governance, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick © Kevin Morrell 2012 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2012 978-0-230-30446-8 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2012 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries ISBN 978-1-349-33861-0 ISBN 978-1-137-02688-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137026880 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 1 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 For Sarah Contents L ist of Tables and Figures v iii P reface ix Acknowledgements xiii Introduction 1 1 O rganization, Society and Politics 5 2 An Aristotelian Perspective 22 3 The P olitics 37 4 The Public Good 49 5 The Rhetoriccc 69 6 Talk and Texts 77 7 The Nicomachean Ethics 97 8 Decision Making and Ethics 109 9 The P oetics 128 10 B olshevism to Ballet in Three Steps 140 1 1 What Is ‘Public Interest’? A Case Studyy 162 12 W here Do We Go from Here? 182 References 185 Index 211 vii Tables and Figures Tables 6.1 Twenty aphorisms analysed in terms of five rhetorical formats 83 8.1 Approaches to choice and sample organizational or societal problem 1 13 8.2 Contrasting rational choice theory with image theory 118 11.1 A case study of public interest in Nicaragua’s reform of property rights 177 Figures 6.1 Two dimensions on which to locate aphorisms 86 8.1 Values, decision scenarios and commensurability 1 24 viii Preface This book applies Aristotle’s practical philosophy to contemporary social concepts and problems. It is difficult to speak to a topic as broad as ‘organizations, politics and society’, or to claim ownership of ‘an Aristotelian perspective’. The justification for this title follows in the introductory chapter and in the two opening chapters. As a courtesy to readers, this preface offers a general outline – ignoring Swift’s advice on prefaces in A Tale of a Tubb , first published in 1704: I have always looked upon it as a high point of indiscretion in mon- ster mongers, and other retailers of strange sights, to hang out a fair large picture over the door, drawn after the life, with a most eloquent description underneath: this has saved me many a three- pence; my curiosity was fully satisfied, and I never offered to go in. (Swift, 2004: 60) Swift’s description of ‘retailers of strange sights’ seems relevant here. For some, seeing Aristotle stalk contemporary social concepts and problems will indeed be a strange sight, but this is central to the contribution. Reframing problems or concepts is often the first step to new insight, even if the source for re-presentation is an ancient one. More troubling is Swift’s phrase ‘monster mongers’. For a few, given Aristotle’s tolera- tion of slavery, his apparent misogyny and comfort with elites, calling directly on him may seem like monster mongering, and this is a barrier to re-presentation or reframing. These issues are given more discussion in the text than this preface allows, but the particular issue of sexism and language requires initial comment. Sexism and language At times Aristotle uses anthrrrōōpos which can be translated either as man or mankind, or as human being or humanity (like the Latin ‘homo’): for example, the Nicomachean Ethics (1181b15) describes politics as the phi- losophy of human affairs, a nthrrrōōpeia philosophia (Reeve, forthcoming). At other times, Aristotle uses anērr which is gendered and means manly or especially and prototypically male: like the Latin ‘vir’. For example, ix
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