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Education for Ethical Leadership: Social Responsibility and Public Deliberation

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Business Ethics Education and the Pragmatic Pursuit of the Good

Part of the book series: Advances in Business Ethics Research ((ABER,volume 6))

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Abstract

The pragmatic pursuit of the good in business operations and outcomes entails a social responsibility to serve the general welfare as a matter of justice. Reflections on matters of justice currently occur in legislative and judicial forums, but government and law are not adequate to address and resolve the many considerations of justice involving business activities. In order to meet their social responsibilities, business leaders must be prepared to engage in public ethical reflection that distinguishes public accountability on matters of justice from personal moral accountability to one’s conscience, and be prepared as well to convene and lead public deliberations to determine the legitimacy, priority, and just resolution of social claims. Drawing upon the extensive experience and literature of deliberative democracy, these deliberations can take a variety of forms and function at different scales, depending on the parties and concerns involved. In all cases, deliberations must proceed under the standards of public reason and be informed by objective evidence and reasonable argument. An important component of these deliberations is therefore a process of social analysis that can uncover personal and organizational biases and capabilities.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Public justice is my term for these duties, as a shorthand way to refer to this particular area of responsibility and accountability.

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  1. Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

    Francis J. Schweigert

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Schweigert, F.J. (2016). Education for Ethical Leadership: Social Responsibility and Public Deliberation. In: Business Ethics Education and the Pragmatic Pursuit of the Good. Advances in Business Ethics Research, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33402-8_9

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