Abstract
So far aesthetics has played a limited role in our understanding of business activity, focused mainly on evaluating product quality and the character qualities (virtues) of the firm that produced them We draw on Heidegger’s fuller account of aesthetic value to show how a firm—like a work of art – can disclose the way human projects and technologies are already at work in a given context. In this way, we show that firms play an essential role in human self-understanding—a role that Heidegger assigns primarily to works of art. We then apply the Heideggerian approach to the contemporary turn to artisanal products such as personalized handcrafts, craft beer and the “third wave” coffee movement.
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Notes
See “R.I.P. British Airways’ funky tailfins,” BBC News, May 11 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1325127.stm and Ray Massey, “To fly. To Serve: British Airways relaunches itself with new slogan that nods to its imperial origins,” September 20, 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039678/British-Airways-relaunches-new-slogan-nods-imperial-origins.html#ixzz3nKxTC6Hq
British Airway’s has advertised itself as the “world’s favorite airline.” See for example Mansell, Warwick “Union Jack is back on the world’s favourite airline”. The Independent, June 7, 1999 and Ray Massey, “To fly. To Serve: British Airways relaunches itself with new slogan that nods to its imperial origins,” September 20, 2011.
“R.I.P. British Airways’ funky tailfins,” BBC News, May 11 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1325127.stm.
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, “Retail Trends,” May 11, 2015, http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-markets-prices/retailing-wholesaling/retail-trends.aspx
Press release are available at http://thehappyeggco.com/news/.
The Happy Egg Co. dedicates a portion of its website to educating consumers about differences among terms including “organic,” “cage free,” and “free range.” (www.thehappyeggco.com)
“Handmade” is now one of the main searchable categories at Amazon.com, currently placed at the top above “All Departments.” See www.amazon.com. The category was advertised publicly to Amazon members on October 8, 2015.
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Helms, E., Dobson, J. Heidegger’s Critique of Technology and the Contemporary Return to Artisan Business Activity. Philosophy of Management 15, 203–220 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-016-0025-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-016-0025-y