Bridging moral philosophies and metaphysical paradigms: rethinking educative leadership for diverse organizational contexts

• Published in: Ethics and education Vol. 20; no. 2-3; pp. 319 - 342
• Main Author: Macpherson, Reynold J.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03.07.2025
• Subjects: diversity; educative leadership; Ethics; metaphysics; organisational analysis
• ISSN: 1744-9642; 1744-9650
• DOI: 10.1080/17449642.2025.2495508

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.