Transcending Business Ethics: Insights from Jung and Maslow

Abstract

Although the very idea of business ethics is no longer assumed to be an oxymoron, there remains a substantial tension between the field of ethics and that of business. The different paradigms tend to lead to one-sided arguments that prevent the emergence of a satisfactory solution. The paper proposes that such tension can be transcended to bring forth a more encompassing perspective. Psychologists Carl G. Jung and Abraham H. Maslow have both discussed the concept of transcendence, which implies a capacity of the subject not to be constrained by existing or common boundaries; rather the subject goes beyond opposites to redefine the context and terms of the dialogue. The paper thus examines the meaning of transcendence and its possible implications for business ethics research and praxis. Such reflection needs to be led at both social and individual level, for individual researchers, managers and leaders need to reassess the tension in themselves if they are to successfully transcend the tension in their field.