Overcoming the Limitations of Existential Philosophy, When Preventing and Resolving a Crisis of Beliefs in the Organizational Life
摘要
Karl Jaspers’ philosophy describes the basic components of existentiality, while addressing social, economic, and political challenges of the twentieth century. Freedom and communication are the two basic pillars of truth. Without the exercise of freedom and the communicability of truth, there is no existential truth. Jaspers’ philosophy of freedom and communication has three limitations. Firstly, the communicability of truth is not circumscribed through the requirements of intersubjectivity and dialogical relationships, particularly the communicational rules and standards. Secondly, the various modes of truth (for the “Encompassing that we are”: Dasein, consciousness in general, spirit) may be conflicting, although they have not been absolutized. The vital orientation (Dasein), the logical/rational orientation (consciousness in general), and the spiritual orientation (spirit) are not necessarily compatible with each other. Thirdly, the universality of limit-situations is self-evident in the case of death and coincidence. But it is much less crystal-clear for suffering and guilt. The antecedents of a crisis of beliefs (the belief in good faith and the communication gap between the company and its stakeholders) must be carefully examined, when designing the best prevention strategies against a crisis of beliefs. The unfolding of the crisis of beliefs involves the moral responsibilities of governments and activist groups. Governments could be morally responsible for both the frailty of their political approvals and their choice of the worst environmental solution. The blindness of activist groups may lead to a distortion of truth. The optimal solution is political and dialogical. From a political viewpoint, governments should have assumed their political and moral responsibility for environmental damages. From a dialogical perspective, the company and the activist group should have found an efficient way to collaborate and discuss about the best solution to the problem.