A Neo-Kohlbergian approach to moral character: the moral reasoning of Alfred Herrhausen

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a new methodological approach by applying Neo-Kohlbergian considerations in historical context to an analysis of the late speaker of Deutsche Bank Dr Alfred Herrhausen’s moral reasoning process.

Design/methodology/approach

A wide range of methods is used, including analyzing Herrhausen interviews, biographies, speeches, statements and further written material, as well as interviews of his contemporaries conducted by this researcher to derive the most accurate posthumous depiction of Herrhausen’s moral reasoning.

Findings

The study reveals that Herrhausen was indeed a person of significant moral character when judged by his activist stance on several highly salient global issues.

Practical/implications

The thought construct Kohlbergian scholars have been providing is deeply imbedded in a tradition of continental philosophy. While the underlying philosophy in Kohlberg’s cognitive moral development model provides much more than is often considered when used in the field of business ethics, discourse ethicists still consider Kohlberg’s ideas a cornerstone of their philosophical ventures.

Originality/value

Herrhausen has become an iconic figure in Germany, often used by politicians as an aspirational standard and corrective to the current management elites’ mishaps. Internationally, he played an important role as a global manager on the political stage by arguing for a Chapter 11 solution for highly indebted countries during the late 1980s.

Citation

Kipper, K. (2017), "A Neo-Kohlbergian approach to moral character: the moral reasoning of Alfred Herrhausen", Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 196-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-05-2017-0027