Hans Bolten | University of Amsterdam (original) (raw)
Papers by Hans Bolten
Philosophy of Management, 2001
Lynn Sharp Paine 'Managing for Organizational Integrity' Harvard Business Review March-April 1994... more Lynn Sharp Paine 'Managing for Organizational Integrity' Harvard Business Review March-April 1994 pp 106-117 (quotation p 112) 2 I thank David Arnaud very much for carefully helping edit this English translation of my 'De ontdekking van een goede gesprekshouding-het socratisch gesprek als morele ervaring' (in: Kessels en Smit Capita Selecta nr. 35, ethiek in leerprocessen Kluwer, Deventer 1998 pp 118-139) and thank Nigel Laurie for many improvements in the text. I also thank all who agreed to be interviewed for this research. By speaking extensively about their experiences they made this article possible and provided insight into the possibilities and special qualities of the Socratic dialogue. I also thank Jos Delnoij for interviewing a number of them and Jos Kessels for putting me in touch with most of the interviewees, who participated in dialogues he facilitated.
Revue belge de medecine dentaire, 2002
The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judg... more The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judgements people have about their experiences and how these judgements can be based. In this article, the reader will learn more about the historical background, the organisation, the levels of dialogue, the role of the facilitator. We also pay attention to the results that a regular practise of socratic dialogue can have for professional dentists. The most important one is a growing sensitivity and lucidity in the daily social life with patients and colleagues. In the dialogue, this can be practiced by sharpening the moral perception of concrete details in the lived experience.
Revue belge de medecine dentaire, 2002
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: "When must I (or mustn't I) comply with the patient's wish?" The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients--duly instructed beforehand--arrived just like that, and said: "I'm in pain". When the central question was applied to this example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of "the patient's wish". In this article you read how the participants dealt with the "pain", with the uncertainty.
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: “When must I (or mustn’t I) comply with the patient’s wish?” The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients duly instructed beforehand arrived just like that, and said: “I’m in pain”. When the central question was applied tot his example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of “the patient’s wish”. In this article you read how the participants dealt with the “pain”, with the uncertainty.
The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judg... more The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judgements people have about their experiences and how these judgements can be based. In this article, the reader will learn more about the historical background, the organisation, the levels of dialogue, the role of the facilitator. We also pay attention to the results that a regular practise of socratic dialogue can have for professional dentists. The most important one is a growing sensitivity and lucidity in the daily social life with patients and colleagues. In the dialogue, this can be practiced by sharpening the moral perception of concrete details in the lived experience.
Revue belge de médecine dentaire, 2002
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: "When must I (or mustn't I) comply with the patient's wish?" The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients--duly instructed beforehand--arrived just like that, and said: "I'm in pain". When the central question was applied to this example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of "the patient's wish". In this article you read how the participants dealt with the "pain", with the uncertainty.
Philosophy of Management, 2001
How can organisations 'manage for integrity'? 1 Two differing approaches have been called the com... more How can organisations 'manage for integrity'? 1 Two differing approaches have been called the compliance strategy and the integrity strategy. While the first seeks to instil compliance with standards and systems, the integrity strategy seeks to teach ethical decision-making and values as well, so that 'ethical thinking and awareness... [are]...part of every manager's mental equipment'. In this paper the Dutch consultant philosopher Hans Bolten reports on how Socratic dialogue has helped managers develop ethical capacities and responsibility. Drawing on research with dialogue members he concludes that organisations that care about ethics cannot rely on abstract moral codes and rules. He argues that they need Socratic dialogue as an instrument if their managers are to shape moral guidelines they both agree upon and can apply in practice. And he shows how dialogue can foster in managers the readiness to give an account of their actions, a readiness implicit in the idea of moral action itself. Thus Socratic dialogue can help create a culture in which morally accountable action is the rule, not the exception, and in which the responsibility to give an account of one's actions has its rightful place. 2
Philosophy of Management, 2001
Lynn Sharp Paine 'Managing for Organizational Integrity' Harvard Business Review March-April 1994... more Lynn Sharp Paine 'Managing for Organizational Integrity' Harvard Business Review March-April 1994 pp 106-117 (quotation p 112) 2 I thank David Arnaud very much for carefully helping edit this English translation of my 'De ontdekking van een goede gesprekshouding-het socratisch gesprek als morele ervaring' (in: Kessels en Smit Capita Selecta nr. 35, ethiek in leerprocessen Kluwer, Deventer 1998 pp 118-139) and thank Nigel Laurie for many improvements in the text. I also thank all who agreed to be interviewed for this research. By speaking extensively about their experiences they made this article possible and provided insight into the possibilities and special qualities of the Socratic dialogue. I also thank Jos Delnoij for interviewing a number of them and Jos Kessels for putting me in touch with most of the interviewees, who participated in dialogues he facilitated.
Revue belge de medecine dentaire, 2002
The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judg... more The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judgements people have about their experiences and how these judgements can be based. In this article, the reader will learn more about the historical background, the organisation, the levels of dialogue, the role of the facilitator. We also pay attention to the results that a regular practise of socratic dialogue can have for professional dentists. The most important one is a growing sensitivity and lucidity in the daily social life with patients and colleagues. In the dialogue, this can be practiced by sharpening the moral perception of concrete details in the lived experience.
Revue belge de medecine dentaire, 2002
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: "When must I (or mustn't I) comply with the patient's wish?" The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients--duly instructed beforehand--arrived just like that, and said: "I'm in pain". When the central question was applied to this example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of "the patient's wish". In this article you read how the participants dealt with the "pain", with the uncertainty.
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: “When must I (or mustn’t I) comply with the patient’s wish?” The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients duly instructed beforehand arrived just like that, and said: “I’m in pain”. When the central question was applied tot his example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of “the patient’s wish”. In this article you read how the participants dealt with the “pain”, with the uncertainty.
The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judg... more The socratic dialogue is a philosophical method that enables colleagues to investigate which judgements people have about their experiences and how these judgements can be based. In this article, the reader will learn more about the historical background, the organisation, the levels of dialogue, the role of the facilitator. We also pay attention to the results that a regular practise of socratic dialogue can have for professional dentists. The most important one is a growing sensitivity and lucidity in the daily social life with patients and colleagues. In the dialogue, this can be practiced by sharpening the moral perception of concrete details in the lived experience.
Revue belge de médecine dentaire, 2002
This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one... more This article gives an account of the experiences of 12 dentists (11 general practitioners and one periodontist) during a one-day Socratic dialogue, which took place at the International Conference for Dentists in Bruges 2001. The key question was: "When must I (or mustn't I) comply with the patient's wish?" The participants tackled an example from Edgar, general practitioner. His story went like this: on Christmas Eve, dinnertime, one of his patients--duly instructed beforehand--arrived just like that, and said: "I'm in pain". When the central question was applied to this example, uncertainty arose about the exact nature of "the patient's wish". In this article you read how the participants dealt with the "pain", with the uncertainty.
Philosophy of Management, 2001
How can organisations 'manage for integrity'? 1 Two differing approaches have been called the com... more How can organisations 'manage for integrity'? 1 Two differing approaches have been called the compliance strategy and the integrity strategy. While the first seeks to instil compliance with standards and systems, the integrity strategy seeks to teach ethical decision-making and values as well, so that 'ethical thinking and awareness... [are]...part of every manager's mental equipment'. In this paper the Dutch consultant philosopher Hans Bolten reports on how Socratic dialogue has helped managers develop ethical capacities and responsibility. Drawing on research with dialogue members he concludes that organisations that care about ethics cannot rely on abstract moral codes and rules. He argues that they need Socratic dialogue as an instrument if their managers are to shape moral guidelines they both agree upon and can apply in practice. And he shows how dialogue can foster in managers the readiness to give an account of their actions, a readiness implicit in the idea of moral action itself. Thus Socratic dialogue can help create a culture in which morally accountable action is the rule, not the exception, and in which the responsibility to give an account of one's actions has its rightful place. 2