This paper develops the concept of the ‘continuum of destructiveness’ in relation to organizational corruption. This notion captures the slippery slope of wrongdoing as actors engage in increasingly dubious practices. We identify four kinds of individuals along this continuum in corrupt organizations, who range from complete innocence to total guilt. They are innocent bystanders, innocent participants, active rationalizers and guilty perpetrators. Traditional explanations of how individuals move from bystander status to guilty perpetrators usually focus on socialization and institutional factors. In (...) addition to these factors, we propose that the very distance between an act and its ethical consequences (ethical distance) may also play a determining role – if not always in the same way – in the transition process. Having developed this conceptual argument, we conclude with a discussion of managerial and research implications. (shrink)

An important area of business ethics research focuses on how otherwise normal and law-abiding individuals can engage in acts of corruption. Key in this literature is the concept of rationalization. This is where individuals attempt to justify past and future corrupt deeds to themselves and others. In this article, we argue that rationalization often entails a process of overcompensation whereby the justification forwarded is excessive in relation to the actual act. Such over-rationalization provides an impetus for further and more serious (...) acts of illegality. Using a number of high profile cases, it is argued that this dynamic gap between the act and excessive rationalization can explain why corruption often escalates in severity and scope in the organization. (shrink)

ABSTRACT:In this article, we explore the Corporate Social Performance (CSP) of Developing Country Multinationals (DMNCs). We argue that in competing internationally, DMNCs often face both reputation and legitimacy deficits, which they address by improving their CSP. We develop a series of hypotheses to explain the variation in CSP between DMNCs and domestic-only firms from developing countries and also examine variations in CSP between DMNCs depending on the extent of their multinationality and portfolio of host countries. Our findings support all our (...) hypotheses, which suggest that DMNCs display enhanced levels of CSP compared to their domestic-only counterparts. CSP is also found to be positively related to the DMNCs’ degree of multinationality, but with a declining incremental impact, whereas entry into developed markets leads to a greater improvement in DMNCs’ CSP than expansion into developing markets. We highlight the implications of our findings for managers and researchers. (shrink)

L’article se concentre sur la pandémie de covid-19 dans une tentative d’évaluer la contribution éventuelle de l’analyse philosophique à la compréhension et à la résolution des problèmes éthiques, juridiques et sociopolitiques qu’elle soulève. On aborde une série de dilemmes cruciaux qui requièrent des décisions pratiques, avant et après la production et la disponibilité des vaccins, à la lumière des théories éthiques et politiques contemporaines. Il s’avère que dans la plupart des cas les conceptions déontologiques semblent l’emporter sur les considérations conséquentialistes, (...) qui ne s’imposent à notre raisonnement que dans des situations d’urgence immédiate. La pandémie nous permet également d’apprécier le rôle important des vertus éthiques et épistémiques dans la prise des décisions critiques. (shrink)

The question of whether ethical individuals have a disadvantage in becoming leaders is an important one that has not been adequately discussed in the business ethics/leadership literature. In this paper, drawing on Plato’s middle dialogues and particularly on the Republic, I develop a Platonic framework of the constraints that might hinder the emergence of what the dialogues term ‘philosopher kings’. Subsequently, I use this framework to elucidate the emergence of ethical leaders in todays’ organizations and conclude with a discussion of (...) this paper’s implications for the ethical leadership literature. (shrink)

The Luxleaks scandal, which had garnered widespread attention in 2014 and implicated A. Deltour and R. Halet, has taken a significant turn with the recent publication of the Grand Chamber’s decision in favour of Mr Halet. Initially, Deltour was officially recognised as a whistleblower by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in defence of the actions he took, while Halet faced condemnation for lacking whistleblower status. Halet had previously brought his case before the ECtHR, alleging a violation of his (...) right to freedom of expression. However, the ECtHR’s judgment in February 2023 ultimately upheld the right to freedom of expression, marking a pivotal moment in this legal saga. The judgment itself focused on two critical criteria for safeguarding whistle-blowers within the framework of freedom of expression: assessing the damage caused to the employer and determining whether such damage could be outweighed by the public interest, as well as evaluating the severity of the imposed sanctions. This contribution aims to provide a critical assessment of the Luxleaks case up until the the ECtHR’s Grand Chamber decision. As this analysis will argue, the judgment holds immense significance as it introduces a fresh perspective on the notions of damage and public interest in the context of the Court’s established jurisprudence concerning whistleblower protection. (shrink)

Drawing on the literatures of industrial crises, corporate reputation, and stakeholder theory, this article is an empirical investigation into the impact that accident characteristics have on the corporate reputation for social performance of the firms involved. The main findings are the following: First, environmental damage does have an impact on the reputational scores for social performance, whereas damage to human life, surprisingly, does not. Second, the complexity of an accident plays a role in the reevaluation of the social performance reputational (...) scores. Third, industry executives and analysts differ in their reputational reevaluations of accidents with respect to the complexity of the event. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings. (shrink)

Stelios Virvidakis | : Dans cet article, je me pose la question de l’emploi du concept de vérité par la critique littéraire et je me concentre sur la théorie : « pas de vérité en littérature », élaborée par Peter Lamarque et Stein Haughom Olsen. Je tâche de développer et d’approfondir certaines critiques de leurs thèses et arguments, afin d’en proposer une évaluation d’ensemble. Je conclus que le problème principal avec Lamarque et Olsen est qu’ils veulent exclure toute considération (...) de vérité en littérature — endossant ainsi une conception de la création littéraire plus ou moins expressiviste — tout en sauvegardant la reconnaissance de la vérité de nos croyances concernant une série de notions de ce qui est d’intérêt humain et des valeurs universelles non formelles. Leur approche risque ainsi de sombrer dans l’incohérence. | : The article deals with possible uses of the concept of truth in literary criticism and focuses on the « no truth » philosophical theory of literature elaborated by Peter Lamarque et Stein Haughom Olsen. I draw on certain objections to their basic theses and arguments, which have been already put forth by various critics, trying to develop and refine them, with a view to proposing a more general evaluation. I conclude that the main problem with Lamarque and Olsen is that they want to eschew all considerations of truth in literature — endorsing a more or less expressivist conception of literary creation —, while, at the same time retaining the recognition of the truth of beliefs concerning what is of importance to human beings and notions of universal, non formal values. Such a stance threatens the coherence of their approach. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Kant-Studien Jahrgang: 107 Heft: 2 Seiten: 343-368.

Greek translation of Immanuel Kant's 1766 short treatise: Träume eines Geistersehers, erläutert durch Träume der Metaphysik.

Translation of Kant's 1768 short treatise: Von dem ersten Grunde des Unterschiedes der Gegenden im Raum (Περί του πρώτου θεμέλιου λόγου της διάκρισης των διευθύνσεων στον χώρο). Athens: PRiNTA-Ροές (2024).

The theme is the encounter. The 17th century Iberian Old World meets the New World and there it finds itself again, its utopias and dystopias, its monsters and its Edenic motifs, its eschatologies and its fates – as if the imagined anticipated the real that the conquerors came across in Portuguese America. Alessandro Zir, a researcher linked to the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, uses the approach of styles of thinking – in this expression by Ian Hacking (2002), (...) an author whom Zir chooses as a kind of mentor –, created to better capture the historical course and its changes and as a theoretical strategy that is both relevant to philosophy and the history of science. This strategy is itself an encounter, including the sense of clash, dispute and experience, as predicted by the semantics of the English term “encounter”, contained in the title of the book and very well chosen. In addition to the clashes with the revived monsters on the other side of the Atlantic, the clash soon stands out, aiming to better understand the subject at hand, between this approach to styles of thought and those old (or not so old) mental ways that We collect it from the narratives of travelers, colonizers and missionaries from the 16th century. // O tema é o encontro. O Velho Mundo ibérico seiscentista encontra o Novo Mundo e aí mesmo reencontra a si próprio, suas utopias e distopias, seus monstros e seus motivos edênicos, suas escatologias e seus fados – como se o imaginado adiantasse o real com que os conquistadores vieram a topar na América portuguesa. Alessandro Zir, pesqui- sador ligado à Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, serve-se da abordagem dos estilos de pensamento (styles of thinking) – nessa expressão de Ian Hacking (2002), autor que Zir elege como espécie de mentor –, criada para melhor captar o curso histórico e suas mudanças e como uma estratégia teórica a um só tempo pertinente à filosofia e à história da ciência. Essa estratégia é ela mesma um encontro, incluindo-se aí o senti- do de embate, disputa e experiência, tal como prevê a semântica do termo inglês “encounter”, constante no título do livro e muito bem escolhido. É que para além dos embates com os monstros revividos no outro lado do Atlântico, logo se destaca o em- bate, visando melhor conhecer o assunto em pauta, entre essa abordagem dos estilos de pensamento e aqueles antigos (ou nem tanto) modos mentais que recolhemos nas nar- rativas de viajantes, colonizadores e missionários do século xvi. (shrink)

In what follows I will try to show that hinge propositions do not constitute the ultimate ground upon which we stand fast, but rather voice a metaphysical temptation, the temptation to offer an ultimate and undoubtable foundation of which we can be absolutely certain. After a brief sketch of what hinge propositions are, I propose that we read them as exclamations pointing to nonsense, a limit to intelligibility. Interpreted thus, hinge propositions, either ascertained or doubted, show what nonsense in On (...) Certainty might be, namely, the confusion that either their certitude or doubt produce. I will try to substantiate my interpretation showing that Wittgenstein in On Certainty was well aware of the temptation to proclaim hinge propositions as absolute certainties – a temptation he rejects. I will try to establish the above claim by offering a critique of Moyal-Sharrock’s interpretation that we read hinges as merely showing and not as something that we can explicitly acknowledge, say or articulate. (shrink)

La théorie de la connaissance des années 60 et 70 a été marquée par l'emploi des arguments transcendantaux de toutes sortes. Ces arguments pourraient servir à défendre l'applicabilité de nos concepts fondamentaux qui font l'objet d'une variété d'attaques sceptiques. Malheureusement, la prise de conscience des difficultés mettant en cause l'efficacité ou même la validité des arguments transcendantaux a progressivement conduit à leur abandon, quoique certains philosophes n'aient jamais cessé de les utiliser. Mon analyse s'inspire du renouveau récent de l'intérêt pour (...) l'argumentation transcendantale dans le domaine de la raison pratique, et en particulier de l'élaboration d'un modèle de ce genre d'argumentation par A. W. Moore. Je procède à l'examen d'un argument de forme transcendantale développé par Christine Korsgaard afin de justifier l'autorité des normes morales. Je tente d'évaluer l'efficacité de cet argument et du modèle général auquel il se conforme, de le comparer à des approches alternatives et d'étudier les rapports de ses prémisses et de sa conclusion avec des prises de position réalistes et anti-réalistes en métaéthique.There is a revival of interest in transcendental arguments, which used to be very popular in recent decades but were progressively abandoned because of doubts concerning their plausibility and even their validity, although of course some philosophers never ceased to use them. My paper deals with a particular model of transcendental arguments which can be employed in the area of practical philosophy, elaborated by A.W. Moore. I examine an application of this model in the construction of a complex argument by Christine Korsgaard which aims at establishing the authority of moral norms. I discuss its structure and the relations of its premises and of its conclusion to certain realist and anti- realist positions in metaethics, I compare it to alternative approaches to the same problem, and I try to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. (shrink)

What should we do with the heritage of nature/society dualism among moderns? This article opposes a certain contemporary critical intelligence that has been content to completely deny it. Rather, it is necessary to know how to triage it – whether to face threats of the magnitude of the Anthropocene or the Covid-19 pandemic, or to face ongoing scientific denialisms. It is argued here that an anthropology of the modern is not an anthropology against the modern. The same is true in (...) relation to science and technology. (shrink)

Si l'histoire de la langue française est longue, l'histoire de la Francophonie, elle, est courte. Le mot n'apparaît qu'en 1880 et ne connaît une fréquence d'usage qu'à partir des années 1960. Il recouvre de l'origine à nos jours, plusieurs significations : une donnée brute de démographie linguistique, une volonté collective d'organisation, un idéal humaniste de dialogue et de solidarité. L'affirmation d'une Francophonie internationale organisée fut d'abord associative ; la construction politique, commencée avec la naissance de l'Agence de coopération culturelle et (...) technique en 1970, s'est poursuivie avec le premier Sommet en 1986 et la création de l'OIF en 1997 dotée d'un Secrétaire général qui est son porte-parole dans le concert des nations.The French language itself has a long history but the history of Francophony in itself is short. The word itself only made its first appearance in 1880 and became more widely used in the 1960s. From its origins right up to the present day the word has always carried several meanings: a raw piece of data about linguistic demography, the collective will to create organization, a humanistic ideal regarding dialogue and solidarity. The affirmation of an international dimension Francophony was associative at first. The political construction began with the birth of Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation in 1970 which was followed by the first Summit in 1986, and the creation of the OIF in 1997 whose Secretary General is the spokesperson for Francophony internationally. (shrink)

In the paper that follows I examine the concept of logical egoism as presented in Kant’s Anthropology, from a pragmatic point of view. In the light of Kant’s understanding of what it means to be a logical egoist, I will compare Kant’s egoist with Wittgenstein, the Wittgenstein of the Tractatus Logico–Philosophicus. I will claim that early Wittgenstein was a logical egoist. My purpose, however, is not to re-write Wittgenstein’s biography taking into account that egoism is an anthropological category, but rather (...) to compare the shift from egoism to pluralism as analogous to the shift from dogmatism to criticism. As a result of the above shift, and in the light of Kant’s Anthropology, I propose reading Wittgenstein’s later thought from a practical standpoint that, I believe, is consistent with Kant’s concept of being a citizen of the world. I conclude that both thinkers contribute to an understanding of critical philosophy as a way of living. (shrink)

Este artigo foi composto a partir da comunicação apresentada no Ciclo de conferências "Humanos e animais: os limites da humanidade", promovido pelo IEA/USP. Já bastante modificado desde então, o texto incorpora ainda comentários de interlocutores de diferentes áreas ou perspectivas de conhecimento, de modo a explicitar tanto as dificuldades quanto o caráter promissor de tais esforços interdisciplinares. No mesmo passo, as reflexões do artigo emergem do exame de uma bibliografia heterogênea, mas que, conforme o tratamento aqui despendido, converge para a (...) urgência contemporânea de se conceber e praticar um outro pacto entre os humanos modernos e os animais, sem o qual o próprio humanismo ver-se-á ameaçado. Para outro humanismo, outra natureza insiste em pedir passagem. This article was composed from a communication presented in the cycle of conferences "Humans and animals: the limits of humanity", promoted by IEA/USP. Amply modified since then, the text incorporates commentaries of interlocutors from different areas or perspectives of knowledge, so as making explicit both the difficulties and the promising character of such interdisciplinary efforts. In the same time, the reflections of the article emerge from the use of a heterogeneous bibliography, but that, in conformity with the treatment here used, converges to the contemporary urgency of conceiving and practicing another pact between modern humans and the animals. Without this pact humanism itself will be menaced. For other humanism, another nature insists in asking its place. (shrink)

Hērakleitos, ho kyklos tou thanatou -- Nostos -- Hē archaia graphē -- Hē politeia tēs aretēs.

Suppose COVID-19 is the runaway tram in the famous moral thought experiment, known as the “Bystander at the Switch.” Consider the two differentiated responses of governments around the world to this new threat, namely the option of quarantine/lockdown and herd immunity. Can we contrast the hypothetical with the real scenario? What do the institutional decisions and strategies for dealing with the virus, in the beginning of 2020, signify in a normative moral framework? This paper investigates these possibilities in order to (...) highlight the similarities and, more importantly, the differences that exist between utilitarianism and Kantian ethics. Analysis shows that the hypothetical scenario can never be fully compared to the complex multifactorial nature of the real world. But if a comparison is attempted, the most obvious difference between the two governmental strategies is the concept of duty within the Kantian perspective. Ultimately, it is a matter of comparing freedom and life. Attributing a moral “priority ticket” to one or the other can be analysed through interpersonal aggregation. (shrink)

Drawing on a number of recent high-profile cases of corporate corruption, we develop a process model that explains the escalation of deception in corrupt firms. If undetected, an initial lie can begin a process whereby the ease, severity and pervasiveness of deception increases overtime so that it eventually becomes an organization level phenomenon. We propose that organizational complexity has an amplifying effect. A␣feedback loop between organization level deception and each of the escalation stages positively reinforces the process. In addition, moderators (...) are proposed that will halt escalation at various stages. By conceptualizing corporate deception as a social process, the paper contributes to a growing body of research that looks beyond 'bad' individuals for the causes of corporate illegality. (shrink)

In what follows, I will try to show how the sublime reveals a fundamental aspect of the subject as a human being: a striving to comprehend the absolute. Although at first this striving appears to lead to a futile pursuit – we cannot represent the absolute – we ultimately succeed in presenting it, thus re-affirming the fundamental role of intuition for the human being: the need to make our notions, concepts and ideas tangible. The sublime thus appears to be in (...) close relation to an aesthetic idea, symbols and art, manifesting a profound kinship between reason and the imagination. (shrink)

In this article I aim to show how the sensus communis grounds – with the use of its maxims – the possibility of reflection, endowing the subject with a duty, that of becoming human, where becoming human presupposes self-education. Self-education entails on one hand overcoming one’s self interest or private feelings – that is what an aesthetic judgment demands: To love something other than one-self; on the other hand, and more fundamentally, self-education entails to place one-self under the indeterminate idea (...) of humanity. Like all ideas and ideals of reason, the idea of humanity places an unrealizable demand upon the subject, to become part of an idea, in this case, that of humanity; this demand can never be met. Nevertheless, it is the strive to meat such a demand that motivates the human being to become human. To do so the subject will need to reflect appropriating thus the world through the exercise of its judgment. (shrink)

While trying to preserve the autonomy of their playful activity consisting in a game of ‘questioning and answering’, the Gymnosophists defy Alexander the Great and, more importantly, go against their own chances of survival. Thankfully, we do not need to face such dilemmas when philosophising with children. Nevertheless, the Gymnosophists’ example helps construct a notion of philosophy for/with children as an autonomous playful activity that albeit purposive it is, however, without purpose. Alluding to an Aristotelian sense of ‘'telos'’ in its (...) connection with Platonic ‘'paideia'’ I understand philosophy for/with children as an activity that we carry out for its own sake. This does not mean that we are to abolish elements such as antagonism, competition, excellence, etc.―there is no question: the competitive element is there. But what does it mean? We could fix its meaning according to a purpose or we might entertain the idea of keeping its meaning rather vague or undetermined, implicit. (shrink)

Philosophy for/with children continues to face the suspicion that children—especially of relatively young ages—cannot philosophize because they are unable to think in abstract terms. In what follows we will try to establish that thinking abstractly should not be confused with thinking in general terms: All the concepts and ideas that pertain to philosophy and are abstract in nature, namely, beauty, friendship, justice, fairness etc. are, first of all, contestable and ambivalent; second, they endure throughout history, constantly resurfacing occupying a locus (...) of interest—common to both, adults and children—and, finally, they seem to be already operative, embodied within children’s lives. Thus, the question that we need to pose refers to the meaning of the term ‘abstract’. We will try to establish that to think about abstract concepts it suffices to be able to acknowledge the ambivalent character of the aforementioned ideas: and being ambivalent means that there is no consensus regarding their meaning; thus, to think about abstract concepts might mean to be able to acknowledge and think from different standpoints; something akin to Kant’s sensus communis. (shrink)