Foundations of Perspective: Lessons From a Course On Business

Unpleasant experiences sear a scaring memory into our minds. But over time we can

learn many different things from them. Whether it is our opinion of the world, other people,

ourselves, or the future, we often see things from our own perspective. This can cause us great

pain and loss if we see only from our point of view. Random as it may be, this Foundations of

Business class has taught me a deep lesson, that was painful at times, about perception.

The first week of class began as a nightmare revisited. The course content was not what I

had anticipated. I was thinking foundations meant fundamentals. Rather, the focus on the course

was on the history and development of business thoughts and practices. Surprise quickly moved

to disappointment and frustration. I had looked forward to this class and was suddenly faced with

the desire to turn my back on it. This was not the first class I had been disappointed with. With

previous classes, I had not been able to find sufficient reason or motivation to stay in it.

Specifically, I had trouble bringing my concerns to the professor. As easy as it would have been

to leave this class I wanted to see if something different could come from the conflict.

The Professor had informed the class that controversial topics and viewpoints would be

throughout the course. In a brief message, I asked him if the perspective which was first

introduced was the one which would be focused on in the course and what the most valuable

aspect of the course would be. The response he gave was nothing extraordinary; multiple views

would be incorporated and the value is in seeing how the thoughts which surround business

developed throughout history. Yet the simple straightforward answer kindled for me a desire to

actually know that history; to become more familiar with the people who have shaped the world

through business. My perspective began to change when I realized this course would be

challenging but, more importantly, I realized I actually wanted this challenge.

 Before taking this course I had not thought extensively about how my religious views

affect my perspective on business beyond honesty and integrity. Twice during the course, the

four religious attitudes towards modern business and society, defined by R. H. Tawney, were

discussed. Asceticism describes completely avoiding and being separate from modern business

and society so that nothing in a person's life contradicted. Quietism is seeing contradictions in

what religion teaches and what society asks or expects but assumes they have no interaction or

effect on each other. Renuniciationism like asceticism rejects modern society and business but

rather than avoiding and separating itself from it directly fights it. Pietism embraces modern

business and society with fervor, as something required by God; criticizable but leading to better

things. As I read the initial brief introduction to these four attitudes and later the slightly more

informative explanation my own attitude did not perfectly fit any of them.

I worked at it for a while before I was able to explain to myself what my perspective on

business is and how my beliefs shape it. In brief terms, my perspective is a selection of parts of

the first and last two attitudes which capitalizes on being guided by my religious beliefs while

being in business and society. There are things to avoid, there are things to fight, and there is

truth in modern economics and society. Before this class, I did not know how to explain my

stance. Now I know right where I stand and where other people may be coming from.

Another topic which involved understanding where other people were coming from was

the first module on labor and capital. The hard and objectifying conditions which people

underwent and still experience were already familiar to me. Yet I read Marx's essay “Self-

Estrangement” multiple times and then pick it up again the next day before I understood what he

was talking about. Firmly, I still disagree with his explanation and proposed solutions, but I also

now understand more of what his point of view was. He was concerned about the groups of
people who were being taken advantage of by other people, specifically employers taking

advantage of workers.

In contrast, a couple of weeks later the course went to the perspective of Dr. Jacob

Needleman. Both Marx and Needleman saw that people were being adversely affected by aspects

of modernization. While Marx saw business owners and capitalism as completely corrupt and

that change would be for the sake of the lower class, Needleman saw that everyone was being

negatively influenced. The idea from Needleman which continues to strike me with amazement

was about how people are naturally better than we think they are. "People think it's a great,

human, spiritual act to rescue a drowning child. It's not. It's normal human nature. But we've

gotten so far from being normal that we think it is a magnificent deed to help someone who's in

trouble. The normal being, the natural man, the real self, is by nature relational and

sharing...Human nature down really deep in the real self is sharing." (Moyers, p. 162). People are

naturally good but today do not believe it. While Marx called for a revolution Needleman

suggested a change of thought and attitude. The communist experiment led to socialism and

failed. I wonder if Needleman's suggestion would work.

Suggestion has a powerful influence. I experienced the power of suggestion in another

reading about the Vikings. The reputation of the Vikings as pirates and plunderers has set them at

a disadvantage in most the history books. Thorstein Veblen had a different point of view. He

discussed their enterprise as a system of business trusts. Instead of comparing their standards to

ours he took their actions in stride. What he revealed was evidence of both great and poor

leadership and the fluctuation of an economic system coupled with politics. Veblen's point of

view surprised me. Before I had not had anything concrete to base my respect for the Vikings on.
Now I do. I also realized that applications for business can be found in people and places which

are often disregarded.

Business incorporates many different things and this class has definitely shown me that. I

learned that people who history has limited records on could have known and done a lot. We can

learn from and respect them. That respect is also a natural part of who people are, even in a

business where time, money, and resources appear to take control. People see situations

differently. Whether that situation is business or religious, personal or national difference can

added perspective and incite to the whole picture. For me, that last phrase is key: the whole

picture. I started this class with a very limited view of what I would learn. Now I see more, a lot

more. I expect my horizon to continue to expand.

 Works Cited

Moyers, Bill D., and Andie Tucher. A world of ideas II: public opinions from private citizens.

Doubleday, 1990. Web accessed 20 Feb. 2018