Praxiology deals with doing and working from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of models of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommendations for increasing human efficiency. This fourth volume of the Praxiology series is devoted to the very special topic of social agency. It focuses on two important praxiological concepts: rationality and preparation as preconditions for human action to be effective and efficient.

The question of efficiency was raised by Anatol Rapoport over three decades ago in his lecture to the audience at the Praxiological Seminar in Warsaw in 1961. Social Agency begins with an article written by this same famous scholar on the topic of decision theory, "Social Dilemmas: A Historical Overview." Social dilemmas is the subject of the first part of this volume, a question related to studies on human action guided by two types of rationality: individual and collective rationality. The intersection of the two, in which individuals meet collectives, creates the situation in which social agency emerges, generating dilemmatic circumstances for the actors involved.

The articles collected in the second part explore praxiological dimensions of education aimed toward the knowledge society, because of knowledge possessed and produced by educated persons. Chapters and contributors to volume 4 include: "Five Questions on the Research on Social Dilemmas" by Marek K. Mlicki; "Psychological Processes Underlying Cooperation in Social Dilemmas" by Paul A. M. Van Lange and David M. Messick; "Designing a System for Design Learning: Designers and/or Learners?" by Arne Collen; "Creating an Evolutionary Image of New Systems of Learning and Human Development" by Janet A. Khan; and "A Study Program Design in Retrospect" by Stig C. Holmberg. Social Agency continues the trend of original research done in a little-known, but important area. Social scientists, policymakers, and educators will benefit from this work.

The study of business ethics seeks to understand business institutions, practices and activities in light of normative behavior. The ethical concern is for the rightness or wrongness of human action. Business Students Focus on Ethics brings together essays written by twenty-five MA and MBA students from seven countries in Europe, North and South America, and the Pacific Rim. Collectively, they give us an applied business ethics framework, one with international dimensions.Business Students Focus on Ethics achieves a number of objectives: it recognizes ethics as legitimate content in graduate level studies in business world wide; seriously examines specific ethical concerns by young managers; and reflects on these concerns from across cultural and geographic borders. It also demonstrates the quality of their analysis and recommendations.The essays in this volume are arranged into four interrelated groups. The first group, "Praxiological and Ethical Framework," examines issues of human action from both the theory of human action (i.e., praxiological) and ethical dimensions. The section group of essays, "Social Issues-Compensation and Labor," discuss applications of praxiological and ethical principles in relation to the ethical responsibilities of business. The third group discusses "Ethical Issues in Health Care" from three different cultural perspectives. The fourth group is a series of "Corporate Case Studies." This volume may be seen as a companion to Volume 5 of the Praxiology series, Human Action in Business and will be of interest to business people, economists, policy makers, social scientists and students of philosophy and ethics.

Praxiology deals with doing and working from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of models of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommendations for increasing human efficiency. This fourth volume of the Praxiology series is devoted to the very special topic of social agency. It focuses on two important praxiological concepts: rationality and preparation as preconditions for human action to be effective and efficient. The question of efficiency was raised by Anatol Rapoport over three decades ago in his lecture to the audience at the Praxiological Seminar in Warsaw in 1961. Social Agency begins with an article written by this same famous scholar on the topic of decision theory, "Social Dilemmas: A Historical Overview." Social dilemmas is the subject of the first part of this volume, a question related to studies on human action guided by two types of rationality: individual and collective rationality. The intersection of the two, in which individuals meet collectives, creates the situation in which social agency emerges, generating dilemmatic circumstances for the actors involved. The articles collected in the second part explore praxiological dimensions of education aimed toward the knowledge society, because of knowledge possessed and produced by educated persons. Chapters and contributors to volume 4 include: "Five Questions on the Research on Social Dilemmas" by Marek K. Mlicki; "Psychological Processes Underlying Cooperation in Social Dilemmas" by Paul A. M. Van Lange and David M. Messick; "Designing a System for Design Learning: Designers and/or Learners?" by Arne Collen; "Creating an Evolutionary Image of New Systems of Learning and Human Development" by Janet A. Khan; and "A Study Program Design in Retrospect" by Stig C. Holmberg. Social Agency continues the trend of original research done in a little-known, but important area. Social scientists, policymakers, and educators will benefit from this work.

With the collapse of communism and the accelerated trend of globalization, a new stage of capitalism has arrived. Protest actions that occurred in Seattle and Washington as well as in Prague and Genoa, clearly show that the legitimacy of capitalism is being questioned in many respects. Surveys in Eastern and Central Europe show that a considerable part of the population is not able to accept capitalism as an economic system. This volume assesses the ethical basis of capitalism in an effort to assess its future in the twenty-first century.Contributors range from one of the world's most successful capitalists and philanthropists to the founder of INSEAD, Europe's leading business school, to noted economists, philosophers, cultural historians, and business ethicists. Chapter 1, "Against Market Fundamentalism: 'The Capitalist Threat' Reconsidered," by George Soros, Olivier Giscard d'Estaing and others, is the edited and extended version of the public debate with Soros on his influential paper "The Capitalist Threat." Chapter 2, "Ethics of Capitalism," by Peter Koslowski, follows the thesis that capitalism constitutes a necessary component of a free society. Chapter 3, "Misunderstood and Abused Liberalism," by Lubomir Mlcoch, focuses on the problems of Czech-style capitalism. Chapter 4, "Humanizing the Economy" by Stefano Zamagni, investigates the role of civil society in relation to the market and the state. Chapter 5, "The Possibility of Stakeholder Capitalism," by Edward R. Freeman, argues that stakeholder relationships are a key to understanding the functioning of business in today's world. Chapter 6, "Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Ethicality in Business and Management," by Wojciech W. Gasparski, introduces the praxiology tradition in the debate about ethical aspects of capitalism. Chapter 7, "Responsibility and Profit Making," by Lszszl3/4 Zsolnai, explores the conditions for ethical and social acceptability of profit making.Collectively, this volume addresses the ethical problems of the capitalist economy with special reference to globalization, and suggests that business ethics and the future of capitalism are strongly connected. It will be of particular interest to business people, economists, policy makers, social scientists and students of philosophy and ethics.Lszszl3/4 Zsolnai is director of the Business Ethics Center at Budapest University of Economic Sciences and is SzUchenyi Distinguished Professor in Ethics and Economics, awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Education. Wojciech W. Gasparski is professor at the Insititute of Philosophy and Sociology, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and editor-in-chief of the Praxiology series.

The need for solutions to environmental problems is urgent. Expanded environmental research and knowledge, along with interest in environmental issues, has focused attention on the social, political, and practical aspects of environmental problems. Environmental Political Philosophy searches for common environmental goals, values, and policies in society. An essential undercurrent in political theory about the environment is that such issues are not questions of efficiency or technology. They cannot simply be addressed through knowledge of processes and mechanics of nature, by boosting or targeting research, or by allocating of resources and development of technology. Neither can they be resolved solely by increasing civic understanding and mounting environmental campaigns or requiring endless eco-friendly actions. A crucial element of environmental political philosophy is highlighted through the studies in this volume, which address the question of what constitutes efficient action or effective decision making. Praxiology commences with empirical orientation, but does so by maintaining the important sense that in the evaluation of actions and policies, ethical considerations must be employed in conjunction with effectiveness and efficiency.

The need for solutions to environmental problems is urgent. Expanded environmental research and knowledge, along with interest in environmental issues, has focused attention on the social, political, and practical aspects of environmental problems. Environmental Political Philosophy searches for common environmental goals, values, and policies in society.

An essential undercurrent in political theory about the environment is that such issues are not questions of efficiency or technology. They cannot simply be addressed through knowledge of processes and mechanics of nature, by boosting or targeting research, or by allocating of resources and development of technology. Neither can they be resolved solely by increasing civic understanding and mounting environmental campaigns or requiring endless eco-friendly actions.

A crucial element of environmental political philosophy is highlighted through the studies in this volume, which address the question of what constitutes efficient action or effective decision making. Praxiology commences with empirical orientation, but does so by maintaining the important sense that in the evaluation of actions and policies, ethical considerations must be employed in conjunction with effectiveness and efficiency.

With the collapse of communism and the accelerated trend of globalization, a new stage of capitalism has arrived. Protest actions that occurred in Seattle and Washington as well as in Prague and Genoa, clearly show that the legitimacy of capitalism is being questioned in many respects. Surveys in Eastern and Central Europe show that a considerable part of the population is not able to accept capitalism as an economic system. This volume assesses the ethical basis of capitalism in an effort to assess its future in the twenty-first century. Contributors range from one of the world's most successful capitalists and philanthropists to the founder of INSEAD, Europe's leading business school, to noted economists, philosophers, cultural historians, and business ethicists. Chapter 1, "Against Market Fundamentalism: 'The Capitalist Threat' Reconsidered," by George Soros, Olivier Giscard d'Estaing and others, is the edited and extended version of the public debate with Soros on his influential paper "The Capitalist Threat." Chapter 2, "Ethics of Capitalism," by Peter Koslowski, follows the thesis that capitalism constitutes a necessary component of a free society. Chapter 3, "Misunderstood and Abused Liberalism," by Lubomir Mlcoch, focuses on the problems of Czech-style capitalism. Chapter 4, "Humanizing the Economy" by Stefano Zamagni, investigates the role of civil society in relation to the market and the state. Chapter 5, "The Possibility of Stakeholder Capitalism," by Edward R. Freeman, argues that stakeholder relationships are a key to understanding the functioning of business in today's world. Chapter 6, "Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Ethicality in Business and Management," by Wojciech W. Gasparski, introduces the praxiology tradition in the debate about ethical aspects of capitalism. Chapter 7, "Responsibility and Profit Making," by Lszl3/4 Zsolnai, explores the conditions for ethical and social acceptability of profit making. Collectively, this volume addresses the ethical problems of the capitalist economy with special reference to globalization, and suggests that business ethics and the future of capitalism are strongly connected. It will be of particular interest to business people, economists, policy makers, social scientists and students of philosophy and ethics. Lszl3/4 Zsolnai is director of the Business Ethics Center at Budapest University of Economic Sciences and is Szuchenyi Distinguished Professor in Ethics and Economics, awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Education. Wojciech W. Gasparski is professor at the Insititute of Philosophy and Sociology, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and editor-in-chief of the Praxiology series.

The study of business ethics seeks to understand business institutions, practices and activities in light of normative behavior. The ethical concern is for the rightness or wrongness of human action. Business Students Focus on Ethics brings together essays written by twenty-five MA and MBA students from seven countries in Europe, North and South America, and the Pacific Rim. Collectively, they give us an applied business ethics framework, one with international dimensions.

Business Students Focus on Ethics achieves a number of objectives: it recognizes ethics as legitimate content in graduate level studies in business world wide; seriously examines specific ethical concerns by young managers; and reflects on these concerns from across cultural and geographic borders. It also demonstrates the quality of their analysis and recommendations.

The essays in this volume are arranged into four interrelated groups. The first group, "Praxiological and Ethical Framework," examines issues of human action from both the theory of human action (i.e., praxiological) and ethical dimensions. The section group of essays, "Social Issues-Compensation and Labor," discuss applications of praxiological and ethical principles in relation to the ethical responsibilities of business. The third group discusses "Ethical Issues in Health Care" from three different cultural perspectives. The fourth group is a series of "Corporate Case Studies." This volume may be seen as a companion to Volume 5 of the Praxiology series, Human Action in Business and will be of interest to business people, economists, policy makers, social scientists and students of philosophy and ethics.

Praxiology is the study of working and doing from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of modes of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommen-dations for increasing human efficacy. This sixth volume of the Praxiology series fo-cuses on action learning. Learning from distinguishable action is surprisingly different than learning from a sub-ject expert in human or book form. For those who have worked with and in action learn-ing, the latest form is always distinguishably different from a former experience. Action learning programs are not, in general, intended to tackle puzzles, namely, questions to which an answer may be said to exist even if that answer is difficult to find; action learn-ing is intended to help to develop the ability to tackle problems or opportunities, of which different persons, all experienced, intelligent, and motivated, might well advocate differ-ent courses of action, all reasonable. The essentials of action learning, according to this volume, are: there can be no learning unless the participant receives feedback about his/her performance; partici-pants learn only of their own volition and never at the will of others; the volition to learn is most readily engendered by the lure of success or by the fear of calamity. Building upon these essentials, the authors view action learning as a process of inquiry begin-ning with the experience of not knowing what to do next, and finding that an answer is not available from current expertise. All chapters in this volume are sound contributions to the continuing debate on the processes of learning from distinguishable action. Action Learning is intriguing reading for sociologists, philosophers, managers, and research-ers of all disciplines.

The more complex a human action is, the greater the need to formulate a plan of action, devise a method of implementation, and evaluate its execution. Such preparation is called design or planning, and can be defined as a conceptual preparation for action. Design and planning by themselves are so complex and important that they need informed preparation, which calls for systematic designological studies. This volume brings together original contributions of researchers and practitioners in design theory, design research, and design studies. Its main purpose is to highlight the possibilities of the discipline of designology. Doing and thinking, or thinking and doing, whatever the order, are intertwined. That is why praxiology, the science of action, defines design as a conceptual preparation of action. Included here are contributions from Jack Brzezinski, Eduardo Corte-Real, Nigel Cross, Michel Faucheux, Joelle Forest, Wojciech W. Gasparski, Ioannes B. Kapelouzos, Thorbjoern Mann, Tom Maver, Tarkko Oksala, Tufan Orel, Sevil Saryldz, and Ladislav Tondl. Designology is the latest volume in Transaction's highly regarded Praxiology series.

Transition Redesigned deals with the philosophical bases of different types of transition: change in the economy, organizational/institutional change, and change in social and individual relationships. The editors' primary goal is to give further impetus to a much-needed worldwide debate on the issue of transition towards a better future. The volume reviews transitions made in different areas of human activity, assesses their relevancy, and analyzes their contexts. During this century, different organizations and institutions will undergo a level of radical and global change that has rarely been seen. The expected shift must be addressed in terms of a multidimensional transition toward building a sustainable society. Do we have an understanding of transition relevant to the task of meeting at least some of the challenges presented in this volume? Do we need a radical innovation for redesigning the transition that may enforce real social and ethical responsibilities into organizational practice on different levels and bring to life new ideas? Transition Redesigned seeks to answer these questions.

This latest volume in this important international series discusses practical errors and wrongdoing considered under the action theory (praxiological) umbrella, linking these to ethical behavior. Human actions related to the conduct of business should be effective and efficient. But such praxiological criteria are of secondary importance to norms that should also be taken into account. The primary norm is ethical behavior, which defines the morality of business activities on the basis of the good; these are the presupposed foundations for the human actions in business. The articles in this volume discuss whistleblowing, or the exposure of behavior that violates the ethical foundations of business. They are written from different angles and present a variety of experiences, adding new value to both the subject of praxiology as well as ethics as it relates to economic activity in its social and global context. The issues, problems, and questions raised by this international group of eminent scholars have much to add to the contemporary debate induced by the present economic crises. These crises have revealed practical errors and hypocrisy of those responsible for leadership and management, primarily of financial institutions.

Desire is a rich term meaning wish and want, willingness and relish, appetite and lust. This volume is an effort to analyse the concept of desire and its different practical contexts from a morally philosophic point of view. By analysing multiple definitions and studying underlying motivations, the authors offer a variety of explanations and interpretations. The volume consists of three main parts. The first part, "Desire and Practice," examines desire as a mental state that seeks personal satisfaction. The second part of the volume, "Desire and Moral Life," explores social, cultural, and literary facets of desire. Finally, in the third part, "Business Ethics and Other Contexts," the authors apply PR axiological principles to the business world, examining the conflict between frugality and consumerist ideology, the role of intuition in decision-making, and the need for design education as the basis of effective planning. The contributors to this, the newest volume in Transaction's Praxeology series, seek to explore desire in PR axiological terms, with an eye toward the three E's of praxeology: ethics, effectiveness, and efficiency. In doing so, they demonstrate that desire is central for practical activity in general and work in particular.

The 25th volume in the series Praxiology: The International Annual of Practical Philosophy and Methodology brings a praxiological perspective to current issues facing our society. In sixteen brand-new essays, a team of international scholars expands praxiology beyond the borders of its historically philosophical application and uses it to address real-world problems in a variety of fields. The volume outlines new approaches and reflections on traditional praxiological method, and then applies these developments as tools in fields as diverse as ethics, psychology, sociology, economics, management, and entrepreneurship. Grounded in the tradition of the Polish praxiologist Tadeusz Kotarbinski (1886-1981), the 25th volume, entitled Praxiological Essays: Texts and Contexts, highlights the rich mosaic of issues perceived in the practice of human action, and carries a tradition of Praxiological inquiry forward into our contemporary philosophy, methodology, and social sciences.