Led by the general assumption that the vigor and longevity of individual and organizational life are in no small part dependent on the ethical quality of its structures and orientation, the participants of this conference investigated the foundations for sustainable management based upon traditional writings of the humanist tradition. Several of their contributions were later included in the volume "Humanistic Ethics in the Age of Globality”, which pursue the link between humanistic ethics and managerial success across cultures and centuries.
Humanity can halt a "race to the bottom” of ever lower basic standards (social, environmental, medical, cultural, etc.) only through implementing global guidelines for business. Hence we need agreement on a normative framework for economic practice. The problem, however, is that virtually none of the traditional values offered by religions and customary ethics are uncontroversial or universally accepted. With every advance of globalization came a reduction in the power and effectiveness of traditional ethics to regulate the practices of business.
From an attempt to find a common moral rationale for all humans, academics all around the world have recently given humanistic ethics increased attention. The parsimonious and agnostic foundations of its approach to ethics make the humanistic philosophy an attractive candidate for advancing positions that can legitimately claim to be of common concern for all of humanity. Humanism promises to provide an ethics that caters to the nature of the human being, and thus it offers a platform to address the moral and physical health of human life in conjunction.
Please take a look at the invitation and the conference program for more information on this event.