Business and/as/of the Humanities

Christopher Michaelson

ORDER ARTICLE PERMISSIONS/REPRINTS/OFFPRINTS

To order inspection copies, and/or permissions to include this article in textbooks, edited volumes, course booklets, online/digital course packs, etc., and/or to order multiple individual hard copies for classroom use, please use the secure online payment, or the appropriate form available on the Order Forms page or alternatively, contact the Publishing Editor, Peter Neilson, pneilson@neilsonjournals.com directly.

Business and/as/of the Humanities

Christopher Michaelson

University of St. Thomas, USA

Volume 7: 2010, pp. 201-212: ABSTRACT

In their prevailing conceptions, business is interested, whereas the humanities provoke disinterested attention in value for its own sake. Applying Danto's and/as/of structure to Freeman's documentary film, Leadership and Theater, this paper outlines the business of the humanities (economic value), depicts the value of the humanities to business ethics education (ethical value), and asks how cultivating an attitude of business as a humanity (aesthetic value) might influence our students' views of business and business ethics. Regarding business disinterestedly could mean challenging whether interestedness is an essential characteristic of business. The humanities can cultivate an appreciation for what is valuable in itself, in spite of the potential absence of measurable economic value.