Title Participants Abstract "From Indian and Utopian Ethos to Management for Spiritual Growth" "Gerrit De Vylder" "What is the standard of behavior that guides individual managers in their works, both in the public and private spheres? In general they assume social responsibility and it is only hoped that they do this in an ethically responsible way. According to management ethics specialists, like prof. S.K. Chakraborty, personal and spiritual development interacts with management ethics. Are managers, or more general, economic actors and human beings, by nature good or bad? We suggest that historical literary, religious and philosophical sources may be useful as a source of inspiration for solving today’s ethical issues in business, economics and society. Our case-study concerns both the classical Indian ethical tradition and the utopian tradition, which was partly its spill off." "Namaste. De God in mij groet de God in jou." "Gerrit De Vylder" "De contacten tussen het Sint-Jozefscollege en de Jezuieten te Aalst enerzijds, en India anderzijds, in historisch perspectief" "Dharma als hoop tegen technocratische slavernij" "Gerrit De Vylder" "Oosterse, vooral Indiase denkers, en de utopische denkers met wie zij interageerden, verbonden hun geloof in de essentiele eenheid van het bestaan met een geloof in de noodzaak aan kleinschaligheid, gedecentraliseerde sociaaleconomische en politieke structuren, en een geintegreerde en holistische ""Middenweg""-aanpak. Hun bijdragen aan het maatschappelijk denken zijn een unieke uitdaging voor de huidige technocratische obsessie met grootschaligheid, centralisatie, controle en groei, en bieden een perspectief op hoop." "Aldous Huxley's Anarchist Entrepreneurship Based on Spiritual Capital" "Gerrit De Vylder" "Aldous Huxley argued that the economy was increasingly based on mass production combined with mass distribution and a high capital concentration, destroying the middle classes. In both communist and capitalist states, a 'power elite' was increasingly controlling a reservoir of slaves, conditioned by marketing (by huge capitalist corporations) or propaganda (by a communist state). In short, Huxley identified an invisible slavery which is normal 'only in relation to a profoundly abnormal society'. To become aware and come out of this condition Huxley identified spiritual solutions, largely based on Indian philosophical traditions." "Comparatieve filosofie als bron voor maatschappijkritiek" "Gerrit De Vylder" "De volgende topics worden besproken: -Zijn sociaal-economische paradigma's cultuurgebonden? -Eurocentrisme, 'Asiatisme' en hun gevolgen -'Oosterse' tradities als reacties tegen de moderniteit -'Oosterse' tradities als spiegels voor het 'Westen' -Besluit: de illusie van het 'Oosten' en het 'Westen'" "Indian Spiritual Traditions as Inspiration for Ethical Leadership and Management in Europe" "Gerrit De Vylder" "The purpose of this chapter is to explore the influence of Hindu, Buddhist, and Sufi traditions on the work that European economists and management thinkers produced during the 20th century. We argue that they contributed to the revival of management concepts and ethics of European traditions: Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (influenced by Buddhism and M.K. Gandhi), Arthur Osborne (influenced by Sri Ramana Maharshi), Rene Guenon (influenced by Brahmanism and Sufism), Albert Schweitzer (influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and Karma Yoga), and Hendrikus Johan Witteveen (influenced by Sufi Nazrat Inayat Khan)." "The Concept of “Peace Management” From a Sikh-Indian Perspective" "Gerrit De Vylder" "A historical analysis of Sikhism demonstrates that Sikh thinking on ethical management has long predated academic thinking and research pertaining to this subject. It also demonstrates the relationship between good management and peace. Sikhism with its relatively secular orientation promoted both profits by working and the peaceful society that was necessary to obtain these. Hence the concept of 'Sikh Peace Management' became a reality. Its foundation is the idea that working and management for the common good acts as a spiritual experience and that it interacts with and reinforces a peaceful environment. Despite its similarities with Calvin's work ethics Sikhism did not lead to religious warfare like in 16th and 17th century Europe. It did result however in 'defensive' characteristics, which, just like work, became part of a new spirituality." "Buddhism as a Source of Revitalization of Sustainability Management in the West: the Case-Study of E.F. Schumacher" "Gerrit De Vylder" "We identify how during the twentieth century Buddhism influenced sustainability theories and practices in the West. Case-study: E.F. Schumacher" "Kautilya versus Thiruvalluvar. Inspiration from Indian Ancient Classics for Ethics in Governance and Management" "Gerrit De Vylder" "We consider two classical sources from Ancient India as possible sources for tackling the lack of ethics in governance and business in emerging markets today. First, Arthashastra is a treatise on economics and politics written by Kautilya, the advisor to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta during the fourth century BC. Kautilya provided practical recommendations like providing high and fair compensations to civil servants. It is suggested that the existing wage structure creates feeling of inequity in government employees and is likely to lead to inefficiency and corruption. Second, Thirukkural is a classic of rhyming Tamil couplets, possibly written around the year 31 BC, by Thiruvalluvar, a common weaver born in Mylapore, near present-day Chennai. It is one of the most revered ancient works in the Tamil language, providing a guide for human morals and betterment in life. Like Adam Smith and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thiruvalluvar stated that ethical values coincide with a good economy and that therefore a free market is necessary. Basically humans are naturally good and contribute positively to the economy. In conclusion, while Kautilya gave pragmatic advice to tackle human’s destructive economic instincts, Thiruvalluvar assumed the natural goodness of men and warned against institutional interference. Keywords Wage structure, Kautilya, Thiruvalluvar, bureaucracy, corruption, work ethics, good governance, India, emerging markets, Hinduism, Buddhism" "Kautilya versus Thiruvalluvar. Inspiration from Indian Ancient Classics for Ethics in Governance and Management" "Gerrit De Vylder, Zubin Mulla"