Sébastien Janicki
Philosopher, speaker
Sébastien Janicki is a French philosopher born in Lyon on 15/08/1978. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and has taught at the secondary level, at Paul Valéry University in Montpellier, and at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. Influenced by the philosophy of François Dagognet, he continues his research in the field of the philosophy of science and technology as well as in applied ethics. Major works: "The Mechanics of Remedy" (ed. L'Harmattan), "From Apparent Disorder to Real Order: The Birth of the Concept of Monster" (ed. J. André éditeur), "Postmodernity and Applied Ethics". He is also a consultant in corporate ethics.
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Reflections on the book "Postmodernity and Applied Ethics" by S. Janicki
The crisis is a way of naming a reality. What is a crisis in the postmodern era? Is ethics capable of embracing its complexity? How to respond to this critical moment and what decisions must the subject, caught by contingency, make? In this instant, the new coordinates of the future are unknown, and yet, the responsible subject must respond in action. Not without ethics. This essay is the product of a dialogue between philosophy and psychoanalysis that began before the SARS Covid-19 crisis. This pandemic has revealed the necessity to rethink action and its ethics. But, who to believe? What to refer to? Where science has replaced religion, both foment the crisis of the decline of their belief. The garments of acquired knowledge have torn. The so-called postmodernity reveals a world of distrust towards science and politics. Opinion takes public space and new experts thrive, abandoning the supposed knowledge of others. And yet, what remains of the subject in its relationship with the other? A precious compass, therefore, is ethics. There is no urgency to operate but an imperative in action for the subject to find its place based on a thought of esteem.
Can We Know Others?
The other is primarily an ego, a subject, a conscious being, a thinking being. The other is neither a thing nor an animal. It is a Self but a Self that is not me. It is a being that thinks but does not think like me. It has sensations, feelings that are not the same as mine. The other is both my equal (the same) and different from me. The other is therefore my alter ego, meaning it is similar to me but still remains different. Paradox: how to think of a Self that is not me? Other questions: How can we be sure that others think like us? How can we be sure that others are self-aware? Can we know others? Can we live without others? For the philosopher Hegel, self-affirmation occurs in conflict, in opposition to others, in a power relationship. Why does this conflict with the other allow access to self-awareness? Hegel highlights the necessity of conflict by explaining it through the existence within us of an imperative need to be recognized by others. We need to be recognized by someone. We need to be recognized as a being that has its own thought, its autonomy. However, others are not spontaneously inclined to recognize us. To impose oneself, one must overcome the resistance of the other. Indeed, when one is certain of being oneself, one is sure of having a certain value, but this often remains insufficient and far too subjective. I am a thought, a spirit. I have this certainty, but how to share this certainty with the other? What I think I am must be recognized by another. What we need is to be objectively recognized for what we believe we are. Is it understanding the other if we put ourselves in their place? Can we live without the other? Does self-awareness necessarily go through the experience of conflict with the other? By relying on several philosophical currents, the objective will be to highlight the other in the construction of our own existence. The challenge will be to better understand what the desire for recognition means both in the workplace and in the social sphere. For this, our journey will lead us to the notion of respect as the cornerstone of our relationship with the other.
Why Exchange?
Why do we exchange? It is because we have needs that it is necessary for us to exchange. Thus, it is necessary to find a common scale to measure exchanges. This is, for example, the role of money. There must be the same relationship between the shoemaker and the architect for them to be able to exchange. However, money is exchanged and thus allows men to have common interests. Money makes things measurable against each other. It should therefore allow for equality in exchanges. For Cicero, exchange strengthens social bonds. Men are born 'to be able to help one another' (On Duties). In contrast, Rousseau believes that exchanges are a source of inequality. Exchanges have made men's lives easier. At the same time, one might wonder if they have not broken a prior happiness that originated before society. Exchanges take multiple cultural forms: speech, gift, barter... but also the buying and selling of products and services. How and for what purposes do we exchange? How can exchanges lead to inequalities? Can we live without exchanges? The expansion of economic exchanges (globalization of exchanges) has transformed our customs and practices of exchange. It appears that this mode of exchange is partially being called into question. The emergence of the circular economy profoundly changes the very conception we have of exchanges. It will therefore be necessary to account for this in order to better understand the transformations to come.
Ethics in Business. Towards a New Organization of Work Post-COVID?
How can ethics be the approach capable of embracing the complexity of human actions and allowing for the fairest and best possible solutions? If applied ethics can find solutions to the crisis, what can it do in the face of increasingly difficult-to-grasp individualities regarding the motives of their societal actions? Can an economic organization like a business be conceived as a living being? In other words, can we have an organic conception of the business and what would be the ethical implications? As a principle, the individual is a social atom. As such, he exists by himself in connection with others. As for the business, it is an event, an aggregate, a collective adventure that can only develop by relying on its collaborators. Therefore, we are dealing with the definition of work – or rather its redefinition – today. The etymology of the term 'work' comes from the Latin trepalium, which designates a torture instrument reserved for slaves. In the Middle Ages, the Latin term labor was preferred and later gave rise to modern French words like labeur or laborieux. By distancing our discussion from a pure conception of work as alienating, it must capture the vital and emancipatory character of work. Until now, and before the Covid-19 crisis, everyone had become accustomed, willingly or unwillingly, to the liberal hum of the belief that the 'system' was the only one capable of ensuring a country's wealth. Things are changing, and old habits should evolve in the face of the necessary adaptations to upcoming global challenges. However, should we rethink the very concept of 'business leader' and its obsolescence in light of the evolution of post-Covid-19 society? How will the businesses of the 'Old World' evolve? Towards what 'New World' is Humanity heading? Undoubtedly a world in search of its own truth, but whose road will be paved with errors. Yet in wandering, the false already sketches the truth. Thus, it seems too early to know, but it is certain that the so-called world of before will never be found, forever lost. This global health crisis has been described as a 'war' and poses a real challenge to rethink economic, social, and even political models. Would it be in the change of economic paradigm that it will be possible to meet this challenge? These changes will be all the more necessary as they are inherent to each individual's capacity to adapt to the post-Covid-19 world. A new 'worldview', Weltanschauung, and new perspectives must be brought to what concerns us personally. Also, the 'business leader' must overcome a form of cynicism or even despair to better accompany change. Currently, the uncertainty affecting many countries must encourage the production of scenarios and strategies based on probability theory. Can we reinvent ourselves following the upheaval of Covid-19? This is our main aim. Will we succeed? What outcomes and biases? Can we, through a renewal of ethics, namely applied ethics in business, allow everyone to appropriate – or reappropriate – what is most fundamental in man, namely his freedom of choice and therefore his free will? For a decade, Canada has promoted philosophical and ethical questioning in businesses and communities. France remains hesitant to call upon an ethicist to solve work-related issues, but the bet is possible. The Covid-19 crisis will undoubtedly allow this to happen in the upcoming deadlines. However, it is urgent to tackle the entry of ethics into the business. It is important for decision-makers to follow the North American example to enable real progress in terms of 'standards' and sometimes 'dogmas' regarding the economic world. Following this example allows creators and innovators to access other economic models and to structure the organization of the business differently. In short, isn't it allowing the business to be active in the pursuit of the well-being of collaborators and to better understand the values of users and clients? After the epidemic, the well-being of each individual – a corollary of self-esteem – could be more taken care of as a necessity. A true business philosophy must also be adopted. This ethical momentum must concern large groups but also small and medium-sized enterprises, possibly through business clubs, cooperatives, or tailored training. Now, there are many questions regarding the relationships maintained in the work sphere. Ethics would come here as a spark, a necessary breach, a cut, a breath, a punctuation, a breath in this business sphere. If previously, work only allowed the subsistence of the worker, it should be noted a significant evolution post-war. The activity of homo laborans becomes an activity subject to the recognition of the Nation. It is remarkable, and not without clichés, that the Covid-19 crisis has made responsible parties and actors acknowledge the importance of local productivity, circular local exchanges, and the importance of associations. It is highly likely that in the upcoming deadlines, a significant portion of our most strategic productions will need to be relocated for reasons of job proximity, protection, and security. Why do French companies have so much difficulty transforming to take the healthy path of sustainable development? Why do SMEs remain distant, due to lack of means, from the essential approaches of applied ethics?