The Easy Conscience of Modern Man
07 Feb 2009
Nature and reason are the two gods of modern man. The modern man is so certain about his essential virtue because he is so mistaken about his stature. He tries to interpret himself in terms of natural causality or in terms of his unique rationality; but he does not see that he has a freedom of spirit which transcends both nature and reason.
The Effort to Derive Evil from Specific Historical Sources
ByReinhold Niebuhr
07 Feb 2009
This paradox is most striking in the thought of the father of modern empirical naturalism, Thomas Hobbes. When analyzing human nature Hobbes is intent upon reducing man’s uniqueness to a minimum; reason merely extends the natural will to live. Human history begins nevertheless with an act of decision. For Hobbes, this decision, the social contract, is intended to avoid anarchy by the creation of an absolute government, to the authority of which all social decisions are submitted.
We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!
ByEdie Fraser
05 Feb 2009
We must never take for granted the fact that we have these opportunities to educate ourselves, to work for equality, and to create value in our business endeavors. We can’t forget there are places in the world where the human spirit is quashed, where learning is suppressed and minds are deliberately kept in submission.
A sense of community at work can make all the difference
ByTracy Mauro
05 Feb 2009
People witness healthy and destructive values played out in the workplace. Building a sense of community in organizations can help refocus people on shared values and create an environment of support in which employees are fully engaged. A community teaches values, and those values have the power to strengthen its members or divide them. Like it or not, the pillars of commerce have become a central place where people learn values. Organizations that want to survive cultivate healthy values. Creating a positive community will test the character of everyone involved. It takes courage to keep your gaze on what’s right when all around you are padding their egos and expense accounts or cheating customers. Courage is speaking out on behalf of others, and making a commitment to excellence in the face of adversity or the absence of support.