The book is divided into 8 chapters and each chapter highlights different issues related to ethics. The author tries to emphasize that workplaces, in general, have lost their real meaning and have become a dismal place. He quotes Hegel's three divisions of spirit: Art, Religion and Philosophy; where he prefers to focus on philosophy, and which is deciphered by him as the `love of wisdom'. The book cites various incidences like the Bhopal gas tragedy, which raises ethical issues at workplaces.Ethics is one of the divisions of philosophy. The writer feels that ethical issues pervade everything that we do. Hence, he preferred to approach the topic of spirituality in the workplace from the perspective of philosophical ethics.
Citing the incident of the poisonous gas leakage from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal in December 1984, which had killed thousands of people; the author says that it became an international issue only after an accident of this magnitude. People go about doing their jobs without giving much thought and justification about what they are doing. All ethical crises at workplaces may not lead to accidents of such a magnitude, making international headlines, however, they are matters of deep spiritual significance that shape and reshape the lives of human beings at work.The book starts with the explanation of the concept of Downsizing and the meaning of work. It states that downsizing is treating the workforce as one which can be exchanged, transported and relocated to meet the market demands. The ethical issues emerging in this context, need to be examined with respect to values, not only in the political economy, but also in our life.
In the second chapter-`Why Dialog'-the author tries to differentiate between conversation, debate and dialog. He says that conversation often depends on the taste and inclination of the participants, without an agenda or a clear objective. Debate involves presenting and defending a specific position or point of view. Dialog makes no prior judgment about the outcome of the process. It searches for truth rather than taking it as given at the outset of the enquiry. Participants in a dialog are free to change their mind in the course of the exchange. Dialog is not possible if the autonomy and dignity of the participants are violated. The basic purpose of dialog is to promote the knowledge, insight and wisdom. These qualities are universal and unify the people. Universal dialog should be distinguished from the various forms of exchange that limit themselves to the particular interests of subjective and relative contexts. |
