Ethics and Educative Leadership
Philosophical, Cultural and Practical Implications
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- Description
- Contents
- About
In an era of technological disruption and declining trust in institutions, Ethics and Educative Leadership offers a bold reconceptualisation of leadership as moral craftsmanship - the disciplined exercise of ethical judgement in complex, contested contexts.
Integrating Western, Indigenous and contemporary philosophical traditions, Reynold J. S. Macpherson develops a plural, non-foundational framework that moves beyond narrow managerial models and single-theory approaches. Bridging philosophy, research and practice, the book introduces a clear moral architecture—purposes, principles, relationships and consequences—to guide decision-making across diverse settings.
From educational institutions to public governance and the challenges of artificial intelligence, this is an essential resource that will equip scholars, practitioners and policymakers with the tools to lead responsibly, reflexively and with public accountability.
Part 1. A Structural Map
- Chapter 1. Purpose, Methodology, Argument, and Contribution
- Part 2. Greek Sources of Moral Philosophy in Educative Leadership
- Chapter 2. From Myth to Reason: Presocratic Ethics and Their Legacy in Educative Leadership
- Chapter 3. Dialogue, Virtue, and Knowledge: Socratic Contributions to Educative Leadership Epistemologies
- Chapter 4. Plato and Aristotle on Educative Leadership: Virtue, Reason, and Human Flourishing
- Part 3. Diverse Ancient Philosophical Influences
- Chapter 5. Educative Leadership and Hellenistic Ethics: Stoic, Cynic, Sceptical, and Epicurean Perspectives
- Chapter 6. Reimagining Educative Leadership through Ancient and Non-Western Ethics
- Chapter 7. Moral Leadership in Education: Insights from Roman, Christian, Kantian, and Utilitarian Ethics
- Part 4. Modern Philosophical and Cultural Perspectives
- Chapter 8. From Principles to Practice: Twentieth-Century Ethics and Educative Leadership
- Chapter 9. Indigenous Moral Philosophies and the Reconstruction of Educative Leadership
- Chapter 10. Rethinking Leadership Ethics: From Foundationalism to Non-Foundational Moral Inquiry
- Part 5. Applications and Critiques of Ethical Leadership
- Chapter 11. Educative Leadership as Moral and Metaphysical Praxis: A Pragmatic–Holist Perspective on Organisation
- Chapter 12. Learning to Lead: Reflexive Practice and the Formation of Educative Leadership
- Chapter 13. Moral Appraisal of Educative Leadership: A Non-Foundational and Developmental Framework
- Part 6. Leadership of Institutional Learning and Change
- Chapter 14. Leadership of Learning: Curriculum, Knowledge, Pedagogy, and Ethical Formation
- Chapter 15. Integrating Ethics, Epistemology, and Learning: A Revised Constructivist Theory of Educative Leadership
- Chapter 16. Reimagining Institutional Change: Educative Leadership, Ethical Pluralism, and Pragmatic Holism
- Part 7. Future Directions for Educative Leadership
- Chapter 17. Reimagining Educative Leadership for Pluralistic Societies: Pragmatic Holism, Critical Multiculturalism, and Democratic Justice
- Chapter 18. Testing Educative Leadership beyond Education: Moral–Epistemic Configurations, Pragmatic Holism, and Global Health
- Chapter 19. Educative Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Moral–Epistemic Configurations, Human Agency, and Institutional Governance
- Chapter 20. Educative Leadership as Moral Craftsmanship: Pragmatic–Holist Theory Building for Plural and Uncertain Worlds
Reynold J. S. Macpherson is a New Zealand scholar of educational leadership, public policy, and moral philosophy, known for advancing the concept of educative leadership as a form of ethical, inquiry-based practice. His work integrates pragmatism, virtue ethics, and non-foundational epistemology with Indigenous perspectives to address leadership in plural and contested contexts. He has held international senior academic and advisory roles across universities and government sectors, and has published widely on governance, curriculum, and institutional reform. His recent scholarship focuses on moral–epistemic worlds, democratic accountability, and the ethical challenges of emerging technologies in education and public leadership.