Nietzsche & the free market
What can businesses and business ethicist learn from Friedrich Nietzsche? Philosopher Max van der Heijden will tell you ‘All you need to know about…’ the nihilistic market and the Nietzschean Übermensch as CEO.
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Misunderstood
Nietzsche is rarely mentioned in business ethics. With good reason you would think: why would one wish to introduce this supposed advocate of nihilism, responsible for the death of traditional morality and proclaimer of an Übermensch who invents its own values, to a field that seeks to address precisely the amoral and nihilistic mindset that permeates the business world? This resistance towards Nietzsche is however based upon a misunderstanding of his philosophical thought which philosopher dr. Max van der Heijden will seek to overcome in his talk. He will do so by asking the following question: what can businesses and business ethicist learn from Nietzsche?
Nihilism and the Übermensch
This question will be answered by exploring two themes in Nietzsche’s thought which can deliver a fruitful contribution to debates in contemporary business ethics: nihilism and the Übermensch. First, …
Misunderstood
Nietzsche is rarely mentioned in business ethics. With good reason you would think: why would one wish to introduce this supposed advocate of nihilism, responsible for the death of traditional morality and proclaimer of an Übermensch who invents its own values, to a field that seeks to address precisely the amoral and nihilistic mindset that permeates the business world? This resistance towards Nietzsche is however based upon a misunderstanding of his philosophical thought which philosopher dr. Max van der Heijden will seek to overcome in his talk. He will do so by asking the following question: what can businesses and business ethicist learn from Nietzsche?
Nihilism and the Übermensch
This question will be answered by exploring two themes in Nietzsche’s thought which can deliver a fruitful contribution to debates in contemporary business ethics: nihilism and the Übermensch. First, by drawing a parallel between the amorality of the market and Nietzsche’s nihilism, Max argues that the problem for Nietzsche is precisely the overcoming of nihilism. As such, his thinking might be fruitful when it comes to the overcoming of the amorality of the market. Second, parting ways with the view of Nietzsche as an advocate of amoralism or immoralism, Max explores the virtues to which the Übermensch should abide by and explore whether or not his virtue ethics encourage professionals to take ownership of their actions, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability in business dealings.
Location: Blackbox, Esplanade building