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Prof
Nicolaides, Angelo
Department: Philosophy & Applied Ethics
Research Interest(s): Ethics, Governance, Stakeholder management, Theology, Education, History, Biblical studies, Tourism, hospitality management.
Active Research Project(s): Ongoing research in Ethical Practices towards sustainability in business, education etc.
Active Community Engagement: Department is involved in a Community Engagement Project with a School for the Disabled in KwaZulu Natal.
Biography: Professor Nicolaides serves at the University of Zululand in South Africa in the Department of Philosophy and Applied Ethics. He works at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, theology, philosophy, business ethics, stakeholder management ethics and social justice, and corporate governance. He has been cited at UNESCO meetings. Nicolaides bridges the gap between classical ethical theories and contemporary issues, showing how ancient wisdom can inform modern ethical challenges. His work in environmental ethics encourages sustainable practices and policies, highlighting the ethical responsibility to protect the planet for future generations. By focusing on virtue ethics in business, Nicolaides contributes to the development of ethical leaders who can navigate complex moral landscapes and foster ethical cultures within organizations. His advocacy for ethical education underscores the importance of developing moral virtues and ethical reasoning skills in students, preparing them to face ethical challenges in various aspects of life. Nicolaides’ work is considered to be highly significant for its comprehensive approach to ethics, addressing a wide range of issues from business to the environment. His emphasis on the practical application of ethical principles makes his contributions extremely valuable for scholars, practitioners, and educators alike. By promoting virtues and ethical behaviour, Nicolaides’ work encourages a more ethical and sustainable world. His current focus is on ethics in society and decolonising knowledge. He has authored 23 books and 163 articles some of which are co-authored, in accredited journals and serves on the editorial boards of a number of international and local accredited academic journals.
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- The concept of caring for ill people differs considerably depending on the cultural vantage point and lens one uses. The commonly applied healthcare theory in the West is not entirely compatible when viewed within an African cultural context. This article unpacks healthcare and Ubuntu ethics in Africa, and it is abundantly clear that the notion of personhood is critical in an African milieu. Ubuntu is an African indigenous philosophy which includes communalistic moral values in which there is an inherent and pervasive sense of unity between people.1,2 Given that medical ethics are built on internationally accepted principles, its practice should consider patients’ cultural backgrounds. It is the central duty of all healthcare practitioners/providers/workers to ethically use their skills and follow the culture of the community in which they operate.3,4 Patient autonomy must be respected at all times and there is an interdependence and interconnectedness between communities that apply the values of the African Ubuntu worldview. In this worldview, there exists a strong sense of respect for all, dignity of humanity, caring for all, sharing with all, spirituality, inclusivity, transparency, harmony, solidarity, kinship, consensus creation, and above all, showing compassion for all.5-7 After all, a person is only a person through other people. The African concept of Ubuntu can certainly play a key role in promoting suitable virtuous morality and ethics in healthcare because it influences African ways of thinking and also one’s behaviour. This paper has been motivated by the approaches adopted by medical practitioners as brought to light during the COVID-19 pandemic concerning the treatment of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Culturally competent care for all patients is required as an ethical imperative.
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- The objective of the conceptual literature study is to assess virtue ethics as a viable ethical leadership theory in African countries, more explicitly South Africa. We pinpoint some deficits in ethical leadership, which could be addressed through adopting a virtue ethics driven ethical organisational climate in order to positively enhance business practices and service to the community and society in general. This paper supports the notion of virtue ethics as being the suitable one for the purpose of motivating an ethical climate which leads to sustainable business. Leaders need to assume core responsibility for promoting ethics and should reinforce the notion of morally correct behaviour at all times through their demonstrable ethical conduct. This necessitates that leaders’ must exhibit virtue and possess particular qualities and know how to apply these to workplace situations. Virtue ethics as one of numerous ethical theories, certainly has a role to play in the contemporary discourse in which corruption is rife. In addition, it aligns in many ways with the notion of Ubuntu. We argue that ethical leadership behaviour based on virtue and an Ubuntu spirit, is critical in supporting an ethical climate in any organisation and it promotes sustainability. The study employed an interpretivistic expository methodology of textual analysis based on extant literature. Thus, it is to an extent hermeneutic in nature and leads to insights supporting the notion of using Virtue ethics and Ubuntu to inform practice in African organisations and society
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- Students based in higher education institutions in rural settings are faced with various challenges. This literature study offers insights into the implication of "rurality" in terms of Higher Education in a rural context, considering student well-being and social work training challenges. It stresses that the University of Zululand has put in place a number of initiatives to support teaching and learning considering the above. The authors present the defining characteristics of rurality and higher education, make a historical rural-urban comparison, and discuss social work fieldwork training challenges and wellbeing. Recognizing the challenges posed, some solutions are posited to mitigate them. The article also stresses the need to be cognizant of the fact that there is not only a problem of marginalization and privilege in rural settings, but also in urban settings where in less affluent areas, the facilities are inferior and numerous other disadvantages manifest.
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- The objective of the conceptual literature study is to assess virtue ethics as a viable ethical leadership theory in African countries, more explicitly South Africa. We pinpoint some deficits in ethical leadership, which could be addressed through adopting a virtue ethics driven ethical organizational climate in order to positively enhance business practices and service to the community and society in general. This paper supports the notion of virtue ethics as being the suitable one for the purpose of motivating an ethical climate which leads to sustainable business. Leaders need to assume core responsibility for promoting ethics and should reinforce the notion of morally correct behavior at all times through their demonstrable ethical conduct. This necessitates that leaders’ must exhibit virtue and possess particular qualities and know how to apply these to workplace situations. Virtue ethics as one of numerous ethical theories, certainly, has a role to play in the contemporary discourse in which corruption is rife. In addition, it aligns in many ways with the notion of Ubuntu. We argue that ethical leadership behavior based on virtue and an Ubuntu spirit, is critical in supporting an ethical climate in any organization and it promotes sustainability. The study employed an interpretivist expository methodology of textual analysis based on extant literature. Thus, it is to an extent hermeneutic in nature and leads to insights supporting the notion of using Virtue ethics and Ubuntu to inform practice in African organizations and society.
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- The study investigates the concept of quality service in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. What quality service means to different customers may vary considerably from individual to individual and from country to country. It is nevertheless an indispensable aspect of business which has far more points of congruence than diversity. Customers are the very lifeblood of a service industry business and indeed all businesses. It is therefore vital that management permanently remove any and all of the obstacles which appear in quality service provision. What is the remedy to poor service and how can management be proactive in the pursuit of excellence in quality service provision? This research strives to analyze various opinions and theories on what it is precisely that quality service means and how hospitality and tourism managers can benefit their operations by ongoing commitment to quality service provision and by genuinely empowering and motivating their employees. South Africa as a growing international tourist destination needs to improve its service provision to meet global standards-ISO9000/1 is the ideal tool. To an extent, using the WEB and Internet can also greatly improve the Tourism and Hospitality industry quality service provision in South Africa and give the country a strategic competitive advantage in the international marketplace. Ethical behaviour in the hotel industry is also non-negotiable. Ethics is good economics. Suggestions are made as to how an ethics policy including a formal code of conduct can be developed which defines the standards of personnel behaviour in hotels. All employees can and should be motivated to provide excellence in service quality and positively influence the behaviour of employees under their charge. An appropriate and conducive to business approach is not only desirable but non-negotiable. ISO9000/1 certification implementation in the hotel industry has many benefits for companies which hold it and addresses most of the issues stated above.
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- Aim The purpose of this article is to challenge the notion that a largely Eurocentric education is the best one for African universities. It is not by any means suggested that Eurocentric notions should be discounted, but rather that African education should be devoid of any form of subordination and be allowed to assume its rightful equal place and space, in an interconnected global education arena alongside a range of epistemologies and ontologies. Methods A literature review was conducted on the topic and the researchers surveyed scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to the area of research. The review conducted to a lesser or greater extent enumerates, describes, summarizes, issues relating to the theme. Results Knowledge should be sought for its value to communities through individuals and it should perpetually produce sensible, empathetic, and responsible citizens. African education must inter alia reflect a multiplicity of perspectives and notions that are grounded on local knowledge. Conclusion The existing form of Eurocentric university education in Africa certainly has defects when viewed Afro-centrically. Originality Decades after the demise of colonialism [if it has in fact ended], African universities still embrace a Eurocentric epistemological paradigm and are for the most part consciously or unconsciously disparaging or ignoring Indigenous African knowledge systems. This is far from liberating, and it is argued in a novel way that what is required is a vigorous promotion of African scholarship which is infused with African values, philosophies and knowledge that can also be promoted to our erstwhile colonisers and others.
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- A discourse of human rights applies to the relations between individuals and relations between them and the state. However, from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, Biblical law diverges, and applies to even the responsibilities of entities towards themselves and their responsibilities towards God the Creator. There is a seemingly increasing declaration that human rights standards are being kept, but it is also apparent that the issue has been wavering globally for numerous years. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the destruction of the democratic fabric of the social order on which the defence of human rights is finally contingent. The question this article seeks to answer is what is the understanding of the Eastern Orthodox faith when it comes to human rights issues and what is the Church in general doing to assist in mitigating these? What is the relationship between Orthodoxy and human rights and what part does it play in the advancement of human rights? How can Orthodox teachings contribute to the protection of the dignity of the individual? The concept of ethics and human rights are positive formulations, the two seen as quality features of the Universal Creator, with ethics being the relevant catalyst to human rights and relations. Human rights are therefore expected to shape the living of man as ethics motivates human performance.
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- Karl Jaspers (1883–1969) was an important philosopher and thinker chiefly in the areas of epistemology, existentialism, the philosophy of religion, and also political theory amongst others. However, his ideas have to a very large degree become obscured over the years. This notwithstanding, among his important contributions, Jaspers articulated the notion that individuals do not cognize objects but explain and objectify their being as often unique thinkers and consequently they become themselves. It is a question of delineating and analysing the structure of Being, as such, which leads to ultimate illumination. Humanity may understand the mechanical operations of our corporeal world through science, but it is only philosophy that is proficient in giving insights into the human condition and the individual being who, in turn, has a capacity to exercise freedom. This article considers Jaspers’ ideas on transcendence and how they differ from mainline Eastern Orthodoxy. It argues that only a person whose entire being has been transformed by faith has some access to truth. It is further advanced that, faith is a priori philosophical and not religious issue because it is ultimately a personal and thus subjective matter and has no support in authority. Faith is thus not to be viewed as an objective and communicable subjugator of reason. It is through suffering and a range of experiences and ultimately the reconning with death, that one encounters ultimate situations wherein the Transcendent God is encountered. God is not an object and can be known and described only through myths and symbols or ciphers. The Transcendent Being (God) is symbolically expressed in religion. Jaspers view of Being in its various facets is in opposition to Eastern Orthodox Christian views which is what this work interrogates to a limited extent. The Orthodox doctrine of God perceives God as a Transcendent Being in each of the material and immaterial domains of His Creation.
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- What constitutes ‘good’or ethical behaviour in business is a debatable issue in the increasingly modernistic profit-driven and materialistic world of the 21st Century. This article addresses this pertinent issue by examining the viewpoint of Orthodoxy as it relates to business ethics and ethics in general. It is argued that ethics as a distinct field of study cannot be found in the tradition of the Orthodox Church. What are the pitfalls of modernism when it comes to ethical issues in business as it is evident that modernism and Christianity diverge considerably. It is further argued that theology can undoubtedly make a distinguishing contribution to business ethics practice. Viewed through a moral realism lens, Orthodoxy communicates that any ethical vision is inseparable from and ultimately grounded in an Orthodox understanding of the Trinitarian Godhead. Viewed teleologically, the objective of human life is Theosis which commences in physical existence and continues into eternity in a spiritual sense. The limitations of the present study, as well as the areas of prospective research, have been taken into consideration. The paper nonetheless attempts to propose a tentative way of thinking about business ethics epitomising the implication of Orthodoxy for right business conduct.
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- When we consider the role of the church in the modern world, we also need to contemplate the relationship that exists between the church in God's Kingdom. Churches should not be considered as simply being institutions residing in various denominations but should rather be viewed as entities in the service of the Creator. As such they are essentially transcendent over any man-made institution and are inevitably bound to be responsive to the word of God as manifested in Holy Scriptures, Holy Traditions and daily living, and are expected to do His will until God’s Kingdom comes. The church offers us an epiphany the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ – and of the Kingdom of God and it allows us to go back in time to the life of Jesus Christ as the God-man (Theanthropos), who is totally faithful to the Father. Not only does the church look backwards, but it also anticipates futuristic revelation. The manner in which the church and the world are interrelated is ultimately determined by the relationship of each to Gods Kingdom. The Orthodox Church today as always, strongly asserts the truth of freedom in Christ through its evangelisation, mission, theology, devotional and pastoral endeavours. It teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church established by Jesus Christ in His Great Commission, and that all bishops are essentially the successors of Christ's apostles. Thus, the church upholds practices held by the original Christian faith, as they have been passed down to us via Holy Tradition and she has a life-giving role to play in a highly distressed world
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