ERIC Number: EJ1477428
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-9642
EISSN: EISSN-1744-9650
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Bridging Moral Philosophies and Metaphysical Paradigms: Rethinking Educative Leadership for Diverse Organizational Contexts
Ethics and Education, v20 n2-3 p319-342 2025
This paper seeks to illuminate the connections between the moral philosophies underlying contemporary theories of educative leadership and metaphysical thought about organization in education. It begins by identifying the ethical foundations embedded in five preeminent leadership theories recognized in recent OECD research. The paper then contrasts perspectives on organization -- those based on natural systems with those derived from human invention. It then examines how functionalist, interpretivist, radical structuralist, and radical humanist paradigms provide avenues for integrating moral and metaphysical philosophies into leadership practices. These paradigms shape the strategies leaders use to conceptualize and understand educational organizations. Findings suggest that contemporary leadership theories often align with utilitarianism, supplemented by various other moral frameworks. Interpretivism and radical humanism offer valuable tools for incorporating ancient and non-Western moral philosophies by emphasizing cultural specificity and subjective meaning. However, radical structuralism, while effective in addressing systemic inequities, may neglect the spiritual dimensions central to Indigenous ethics. Conversely, functionalism's focus on efficiency can impede the integration of Indigenous moral philosophies. A four-dimensional meta-ethical framework is proposed comprising holistic pragmatism, enriched by relational ethics, virtue ethics, critical theory, and postmodern ethics, to integrate diverse moral philosophies and metaphysical paradigms.
Descriptors: Metacognition, Moral Values, Instructional Leadership, Leadership Styles, Educational Philosophy, Non Western Civilization, Humanism, Social Differences, Ethics, Cultural Pluralism, Indigenous Knowledge
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Centre for Professional Development, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand