Rights statement: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/shadow-of-sophocles-tragedy-and-the-ethics-of-leadership/05E992C9EC6113916A47BACF4B020919The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Business Ethics Quarterly, 28 (1), pp 15-29 2018, © 2018 Cambridge University Press.
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Shadow of Sophocles
T2 - Tragedy and the Ethics of Leadership
AU - Amiridis, Konstantinos
N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/shadow-of-sophocles-tragedy-and-the-ethics-of-leadership/05E992C9EC6113916A47BACF4B020919The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Business Ethics Quarterly, 28 (1), pp 15-29 2018, © 2018 Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - This article explores how the idea of tragedy can highlight some of the complex and paradoxical aspects of the relationship between ethics and leadership. First, it offers a comparative analysis of the way in which questions of leadership are addressed as a practical and theoretical concern when leaders are confronted with situations of moral crisis. The context is provided by a critical reading of the MBA oath, a student-led pledge that tries to establish a higher moral standard for leaders, and by Norman Bowie’s attempt to develop a Kantian theory of leadership. Second, it introduces a novel philosophical approach based upon Hegel’s interpretation of tragedy and ethical life developed in his theory of aesthetics. Through the idea of tragedy, the concept of ethical leadership could also encompass those ambiguous situations when good conflicts with good and when a possible reconciliation of a moral conflict might require the sacrifice of otherwise legitimate ends.
AB - This article explores how the idea of tragedy can highlight some of the complex and paradoxical aspects of the relationship between ethics and leadership. First, it offers a comparative analysis of the way in which questions of leadership are addressed as a practical and theoretical concern when leaders are confronted with situations of moral crisis. The context is provided by a critical reading of the MBA oath, a student-led pledge that tries to establish a higher moral standard for leaders, and by Norman Bowie’s attempt to develop a Kantian theory of leadership. Second, it introduces a novel philosophical approach based upon Hegel’s interpretation of tragedy and ethical life developed in his theory of aesthetics. Through the idea of tragedy, the concept of ethical leadership could also encompass those ambiguous situations when good conflicts with good and when a possible reconciliation of a moral conflict might require the sacrifice of otherwise legitimate ends.
KW - management
KW - morality
KW - MBA Oath
KW - Bowie
KW - normative
KW - Hegel
U2 - 10.1017/beq.2017.39
DO - 10.1017/beq.2017.39
M3 - Journal article
VL - 28
SP - 15
EP - 29
JO - Business Ethics Quarterly
JF - Business Ethics Quarterly
SN - 1052-150X
IS - 1
ER -