Philosophy of Administrative Sciences

WHY MANAGERS SHOULD READ PHILOSOPHY?

SUBMITTED TO:

Prof. Dr. Bakhtiar Ali

SUBMITTED BY:
NEHA ASIF
MPHIL (MS) 1

Dated: 25 September, 2019

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Introduction

In an era of rapid changes, growth and increasing complexity businesses around the globe
faces fundamental challenges in terms of economic prosperity and global consumption habits.
So far, the approach to fulfil the business purposes have been two dimensional, lacking the
critical approach required in this time. While the discipline of philosophy can help pave the
way forward as philosophical reflection is essential for effective leadership. [ CITATION
Dav14 \l 2057 ] because philosophy is said to be study of the abstract problems as Kenny
(1998, p. xi) stated that it aims to provide not knowledge but understanding; and its history
shows how difficult it has been, even for the very greatest minds, to develop a complete and
coherent vision.

Who are managers and What is philosophy?

Managers are the individual who are responsible for coordinating and integrating activities of
other people in the Organization. Where an organization is a social unit of people that is
structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. To achieve the goals or
to peruse others in an organization towards achieving the defined goals, one need to motivate
them and acknowledge their perspective which plays a vital key role for mangers to perform
their activities. Here comes the answer to why managers do need to study philosophy? In the
simple terms of dictionary Philosophy is a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle
for behaviour. And so, to understand the philosophy of an individual the manger needs to
understand the perspective of the specific. A perspective is the art of representing three-
dimensional objects, abstract, on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression
of their position in relation to each other and it is a particular attitude towards or way of
regarding something; a point of view.

The rising demand for both creative and concrete problem-solving as well as abstract and
strategic thinking indicates the necessity to broaden the reflectivity-horizon of the narrow
business perspective that future business leaders will determine their decisions within.
Business tends to seek one rationalised conclusion at the expense of others. This closes
opportunities, rather than opens them. Philosophy, on the other hand, can through critical
reasoning continually question and rethink the assumed certainties and its basic premises. In
this sense, business and philosophy might seem poles apart at first glance and their
interdisciplinary potential has for long been largely unrecognized, but this will change as

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more and more managers tend to learn philosophical methods to tackle the perspectives of the
employees.

Philosophy in relation to management

Philosophy pursues questions rather than answers them. In this sense, the responsibility of
philosophy is not so much to answer our questions, but to question our given answers.

However, learning more about the concept of morality or justice can help us gain more than
of prevailing knowledge. This is the core of the discipline of philosophy – it teaches not what
to think, but how to think.

Being a manager is not only about getting your work done rather one has to face a constant
juggle between communication, performance appraisals and conflicting demands including
the other employees. Until this day there has been no fix answer to a problem in management
rather the answer is always derived systematically with certain possibility of errors, so it
remains risky. But if a manager has a clear philosophy he/she can provide a clear foundation
to rescue the challenges in operation.

Philosophy is simply an organised way of thinking about your role. Very few people take the
time to establish one. Most managers live in a reactive mode, responding to issues based on
previous, intuitive feelings, and judging previous managerial decisions under same
circumstances. The success or failure of this approach is often determined by your character
and the calibre of your role models, having a core philosophy can help and guide a manager
through the required activities.

Historical approach

Since fifth century the term of philosophy has been evolved in the writings of Herodotus and
Thucydides and there is a paradigm shift how has worked changed over the years from hunter
and gather to industrial to intelligence. This all happened because the management style of
the managers has evolved over the period, in the present time need of philosophy has gained
importance.

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Let’s look at different philosophies and ponder to what extent their philosophies can be
applied to contemporary issues.

Philosophy by Socrates

Socrates is known as the founder of Western moral and political philosophy. In 5th century
BC Greek philosopher also inaugurate the study of management and business ethics.

Socrates' inquiry into management contains valuable insights still relevant to the
contemporary world. In that foundational work of Western economic thought, Socrates is
portrayed attempting to expound the science and art of management to an eager student. He
develops this topic, in no small part, by actively seeking out a successful practitioner,
engaging him in conversation and probing him with questions.

The Socratic perspective brought to light holds that business cannot be separated from social
responsibility and ought to be oriented around a conception of profit that goes beyond
monetary figures and embraces the satisfaction of rationally grounded human wants. Socrates
also insists that management is a respectable calling which both men and women can
legitimately pursue. A good manager, too, is defined by a functionally relevant set of virtues
with a view to personal flourishing and moral excellence. Ethical conduct comes to sight as a
core component of management. [ CITATION CDM \l 2057 ] [ CITATION Bra07 \l 2057 ]

Philosophy by Plato

Plato quotes: “the unexamined life is not worth living”, arguing that to make the most of life,
one really needs to inquire and seek knowledge, both about the world and oneself.

A manager it is always important to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team and
yourself, and this can only be achieved through repeated acts of examination and analysis. Be
aware of the path you're on and make regular checks to be sure that things are going well.
Speak to your team and get their input on the direction of a task and how well they think it's
going. Having more information available to you will allow you to make better decisions.

Moreover, there’s another philosophy by Plato famous as “The Allegory of the Cave” in
which he explains how we are all shielded from the 'truth'(complete understanding of the
world and universe) because we can't handle it. Anyone that got close to the truth would be

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taken to be crazy by the rest of the world and because of this societal pressure, we maintain
the status quo.

He explains it with a scenario of a group of prisoners who have spent their lives chained up in
a cave, facing a wall. A fire burns behind them and so all they've ever seen of the world is the
shadows of people passing the fire (or the more sinister version of shadow puppeteers whose
job is to deceive the prisoners), cast onto the wall in front of them. This is their only reality. If
one day one of the prisoners is released and dragged out of the cave, he would find it
impossible to see because the natural light of the sun would be too bright. He would return to
the cave because he couldn't handle the light and upon telling the other prisoners what he had
seen, would be ridiculed (or maybe even killed!) because they'd think he was crazy.

This implies that in management it is essential for managers to do what they 'know' to be
right. Just because no one else sees it the way you see it doesn't mean it's not the correct
course of action or right path to take. As mentioned in the previous point, it is your job to
fully get to grips with all the information available to you and make bold decisions based
upon that information. Have confidence in your own knowledge, as well as the facts and data
provided for you by your staff, and you'll be able to push through with more effective actions.
Your truth is the only truth.

For Plato, individuals are, to greater and lesser extents, governed by three characteristics:
appetite, spirit and reason (known as the tripartite soul). Everyone has some of each, but each
individual will display tendencies towards one more than others. He drew analogies for each
and his overall analogy is that of a state (bear in mind his reference point is ancient Athens
here) and the various roles of members of society. So firstly, Appetite for Plato means the
base and instinctual aspects of human nature - hunger, thirst, sexual urges - and the need to
satiate them. In terms of society, he equated this with the uneducated lower-class that existed
in Greece at the time, who through no fault of their own were almost entirely concerned with
fulfilling these needs to survive. Next, we have Spirit. Spirit is the more emotional side of
human nature - courage, anger and to some extent compassion. In societal terms, Plato
associated this with the army and soldiers of the state, whose actions were dictated by pure
emotion (killing out of anger, giving up their lives out of bravery). Finally, we have Reason.
In Plato's view this is the 'highest' of all the characteristics and is defined by rational, logical

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thought and self-awareness. In society, Reason was embodied by the politicians and
statesmen, the teachers and thinkers.

As a manager you need to be aware of the kind of character that you assume at work. Try to
aim more for Reason than for Spirit. Great Managers need to be calm, rational and decisive;
all of which all falls into the domain of Reason, but also somewhat passionate, which would
come under Spirit. Manager also need to be aware of the character of the individuals in
his/her team. People that have more Spirit tend to be hard to manage at first, but once on your
side can be loyal and creative, whilst those who have more Reason can be logically and
intellectually brilliant but can be more difficult to 'tie down' and will be more likely to
question your leadership and decisions. Make yourself aware of the types of character you
have in your team and you'll be better prepared to make the most of their skills. [ CITATION
pla43 \l 2057 ]

Philosophy by Aristotle

As per Aristotle, all successful people have loads of something called koine aisthesis or sensus
communis.He describes this quality as the higher-order perception that humans uniquely
possess but used properly only by a few. This acts as a kind of guide for the others, organizing
them as well as mobilizing them in one connected perceptual apparatus.

According to Aristotle practical wisdom combines action, accompanied by reason and ethics
required to prevail over a difficult situation. It does not depend on knowledge of the person.
Rather it depends on a situation and a particular situation requires specific action. Practical
wisdom is critical for decisions promoting Eudaimonia (Happiness or Leading a good life). In
a nutshell, Deliberation, Reasoning, and Action. This is the stuff of practical wisdom. Aristotle
considers this as the master virtue because this is the only quality which keeps the other
qualities in “check” or in other words, in perfect balance.

For example, too much “courage” in an impossible situation is foolishness. Similarly, Loyalty
can degrade into “blind obedience” if done without thinking rationally. Likewise, too much of
“self-confidence” can harden into a stubborn ego and so on.
Thus Practical wisdom “is the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
“The goals of the manager must align with the objective of the organization and its employees.

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Always remember a leader who does not understand his objective can never attain practical
wisdom in it.

Occasionally, organizations will encounter emergency situations that often need quick action.
These moments are understandably challenging, as their outcomes largely depend on the
leading capabilities of the leader in charge. And this is precisely what Aristotle meant when he
tells us that practical wisdom depends on a situation and a particular situation requires specific
action. To know how to act in a situation, manager need to deftly perceive and understand the
circumstances before others.

Successful leaders tailor their responses accordingly to the situation in hand and turn the
tables deftly.

Managers are truth seekers. It enables them to deal with facts and act in the best interest of
their business and their people.

And Aristotle believed that an understanding of absolute truth was necessary to be practically
wise. Absolute truths act as boundaries for us while we exercise practical wisdom.

Understanding absolutes require an informed intellect. This gives us the necessary data to slice
and dice and come up with a meaningful decision which ultimately brings Eudaimonia to all.

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that “practical wisdom is also of particulars, which
come to be known as a result of experience, but a young person is inexperienced: a long period
of time creates experience.”

Aristotle firmly believed that practical wisdom could only be gained through experience. He
often likened practical wisdom to a skill like carpentry or masonry. A manager can’t just read
a book and expect to become a successful manger. He/she become more and more practically
wise, the more situations you face. And with every situation you face, you gain more
experience, either good or bad. And this cumulative experience is the key to success.

You learn from your experiences and make informed right decisions. According to Aristotle,
“the person skilled in identifying multiple options would in general also be practically
wise.” The heart of practical wisdom is deliberation. Practical wisdom requires that we

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deliberate with ourselves the best course of action to take in a given situation. It’s a skill that
we become more adept at through experience. And Of course, all the reasoning and
deliberation would be a waste of time if we do not Act on it. Repeatedly in the Nicomachean
Ethics, Aristotle states that “practical wisdom is bound up with action. “It’s not enough to
know what the correct thing to do is, you must actually do it.

As organizations have become more complex, specialized, and bureaucratic, the opportunity to
exercise practical wisdom has increasingly been replaced with reliance on rules, regulations,
and incentives to achieve our goals. But rules don’t always work as intended. However,
Successful managers always ensure that while rules and processes should be powerful enough
to command discipline and commitment, but at the same time, they should be flexible and
nimble to act effectively in unforeseen or unusual circumstances.

And this Flexibility to adapt comes from common sense. Common sense thus is a form of
practical decision-making and the ability to imagine the consequences of something you do. It
stops managers from making irrational mistakes and makes it easier to make choices on what
to do. And we aren’t born with common sense, we develop it over time and with repeated
practice. As Aristotle has rightly said: Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a
particular way.
[ CITATION Rai84 \l 2057 ]

Conclusion

Philosophical self-reflection is essential at inflection point in one’s career; when a manager

References
Kenny, A. (1998), A Brief History of Western Philosophy, Blackwell, Oxford.

Bragues, G. (2007). SOCRATES ON MANAGEMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF.

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Brendel, D. (2014, september 19). How Philosophy Makes You a Better Leader. Harvard
business review.

Moris, C. (n.d.). Xenophon's Oeconomicus. american journal of philosphy, 169-186.

nurmi, R. (1984). aristotle and management. Scandinavian Journal of management scinces,

plato. (1943). the republic. newyork books inc.

Plato. (381 BC). The Allegory of the Cave. focus publishing.