A Confrontation Between Lean Thinking and Postmetaphysical Philosophy

In this conceptual paper, the philosophical concept of metaphysics is brought into Lean thinking to a) further examine the deeply felt reluctance towards Lean thinking many people have and the difficulty many organizations have to implement continuous improvement programs, and b) to explore what further insights this philosophical approach can provide about Lean thinking. Using the concept of weak thought, originally introduced by the Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo, Lean thinking is revealed as possibly violent thought, threatening the principle of respect for people. Some proposals are made to reduce the violent potential.