Jacinto, E., & Ames, M. C. F. D. C. (2020). Organizational technology focused on praxis: practical wisdom as a guide to ethically sound techniques in organizations. In: Serafim, M. C. (Org.). Virtues and Moral Dilemmas in Administration (pp. 103-130). Florianópolis: Admethics.
Summary
The role of organizations is being rethought today in the light of how they can contribute to the common good. With this in mind, we turn our attention to the technology inherent in an organization per se and as an agent that employs many technologies.
In turn, the technologies involved in a company must be used ethically, i.e. geared towards administrative praxis. We call this praxis-oriented organizational technology (TOVP). To support this concept, in this chapter we revisit the concepts of techné and phronesis, poiésis and praxis, in order to highlight how the concept fits together to elucidate organizational practices. We seek to distinguish between technical activities (poiésis) and practical activities (práxis), discussing how the two can be linked. We understand that this collaboration takes place through phronesis – the virtue of deliberation and judgment – together with moral virtues (indicating the ends), which allows techniques to be directed towards the common good.
This suggests that techné, when coordinated by phronesis towards a morally good end, can be expressed in organizational practices or technologies aimed at praxis.
