"Moral education at work: On the scope of MacIntyre’s concept of a practice"
by Sinnicks, Matthew (2019)
Abstract
This paper seeks to show how MacIntyre’s concept of a practice can survive a series of ‘scope problems’ which threaten to render the concept inapplicable to business ethics. I begin by outlining MacIntyre’s concept of a practice before arguing that, despite an asymmetry between productive and non-productive practices, the elasticity of the concept of a practice allows us to accommodate productive and profitable activities. This elasticity of practices allows us to sidestep the problem of adjudicating between practitioners and non-practitioners as well as the problem of generic activities. I conclude by suggesting that the contemporary tendency to regard work as an object of consumption, rather than undermining MacIntyre’s account of practices, serves to demonstrate the potential breadth of its applicability.
Key Passage
The intrinsic joys provided by practices give us a reason to attempt to acquire the virtues. Moreover, once a virtue has been properly acquired, it can be exhibited outside of the context in which it was learned, and ultimately valued in itself. (p.108)
Keywords
Macintyre, Ethics, Business Ethics, Morality At Work, Moral Education, Moral Training, PracticeThemes
On MacIntyreLinks to Reference
- http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-017-3753-6
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3753-6
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-017-3753-6
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