The 'Attfield Hypothesis'
Cardiff University Professor of Philosophy and applied ethicist, Robin Attfield, has offered a compelling defence of the concept of a 'stewardship' ethic in his writings over many years. More recently, he has attempted a wider contribution to the debate at the interface of philosophy and theology in a book on Creation, Evolution, and Meaning (Ashgate, 2006). In this latter work, reviewed here, he makes some intriguing clams for a theistic understanding of stewardship. One might call this 'The Attfield Hypothesis' worthy perhaps of further research and application to the world of business and finance.
The claim, in crude excerpts, runs like this...
"Theistic stewardship turns out to be motivationally more self-sustaining simply because of its distinctive metaphysic..."
"...liable to reinforce both the responsibility and answerability that belongs to stewardship."
"..because the Earth, its creatures and its environs are part of God's creation, they belong to God rather than to humanity, and that there are related ethical responsibilities and constraints where the human treatment of it are concerned."
"..this is the work entrusted to us by God, and in performing it our lives attain meaning of the kind derived from willingly and obediently furthering the creator's purposes."
"Thus, for theistic believers, grounds exist for the responsibilities of stewardship, to which there is no counterpart in secular versions of stewardship."
"Theistic versions turn out to have a broader coherence, and a greater capacity to inspire the kinds of commitment that are likely to be needed."
God and Corporate Responsibility
Those that don't believe in God might well prickle at the suggestion that they lack the coherent moral framework and commitment required to lead meaningful lives dedicated to making a better world. But nevertheless perhaps Prof. Attfield has a valid point. What, exactly, will inspire the commitment and motivation to make morally right decisions in a secular, plural society? Indeed, do we have the ethical resources to know what is morally right? Historically, great British commercial enterprises from Cadbury and Rowntree to Barclays were unashamedly founded on Christian values. The original institutions of today's global capital markets were similarly faith-based. Is it pure coincidence that the abandonment of religiously-inspired values and personal moral commitments have been followed by a succession of moral failings in economic life.
Prompted by Attfield's claims we may justifiably ask, what values and beliefs will anchor our new vision of sustainable capitalism?
No comments:
Post a Comment