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Hegelian Reflections on Agency, Alienation, and Work: Toward an Expressivist Theory of the Firm

Hegelian Reflections on Agency, Alienation, and Work: Toward an Expressivist Theory of the Firm Hegel’s practical philosophy has important insights for understanding the ethical role of the firm in modern society. From a broadly Hegelian perspective, the firm’s role in society is to facilitate freedom, that is, the concrete realization of rational agency. It does this by providing the institutional structures, norms, practices, and modes of discourse necessary for individuals to link their subjective aims with objectively valid societal aims, embodied in the firm’s purpose. Accordingly, I first present a Hegelian account of the link between action and social structure, before arguing that the firm, when it functions properly, enables individuals to express their capacity for rational agency within concrete social contexts. I then draw upon Paul Adler’s Marxist analysis of the development of organizational structures and processes to support the viability of a broadly Hegelian account of the firm within a contemporary economic context. I conclude by outlining a number of practical implications of this account, before explaining its implications for two prominent theories of business ethics, the MacIntyrean perspective, and the Market Failures Approach. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Philosophy of Management Springer Journals

Hegelian Reflections on Agency, Alienation, and Work: Toward an Expressivist Theory of the Firm

Philosophy of Management , Volume 21 (4) – Dec 1, 2022

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References (115)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022
ISSN
1740-3812
eISSN
2052-9597
DOI
10.1007/s40926-022-00200-9
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Hegel’s practical philosophy has important insights for understanding the ethical role of the firm in modern society. From a broadly Hegelian perspective, the firm’s role in society is to facilitate freedom, that is, the concrete realization of rational agency. It does this by providing the institutional structures, norms, practices, and modes of discourse necessary for individuals to link their subjective aims with objectively valid societal aims, embodied in the firm’s purpose. Accordingly, I first present a Hegelian account of the link between action and social structure, before arguing that the firm, when it functions properly, enables individuals to express their capacity for rational agency within concrete social contexts. I then draw upon Paul Adler’s Marxist analysis of the development of organizational structures and processes to support the viability of a broadly Hegelian account of the firm within a contemporary economic context. I conclude by outlining a number of practical implications of this account, before explaining its implications for two prominent theories of business ethics, the MacIntyrean perspective, and the Market Failures Approach.

Journal

Philosophy of ManagementSpringer Journals

Published: Dec 1, 2022

Keywords: Hegel; Action; Strategy

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