I believe one of the greatest challenges today is figuring out how to navigate moral diversity.

The ability to draw from and integrate a range of diverse ideas makes multipotentialites particularly well-suited to solving complex, multifactorial problems. And, their unconventional backgrounds help them develop unique voices and contribute fresh perspectives wherever they go.

Emilie Wapnick

Integrative thinking is the ability to constructively face the tensions of opposing models, and instead of choosing one at the expense of the other, generating a creative resolution of the tension in the form of a new model that contains elements of the individual models, but is superior to each.

The Rotman School of Management

Ellen ter Gast PhD

CORPORATE PHILOSOPHER

In today’s increasingly complex world, it’s crucial for individuals and organizations from different fields and cultures to collaborate. New insights, essential for progress, often emerge in these border areas. However, successful collaboration in diverse environments only happens when team members approach differences with curiosity and openness, seeking to understand how and why others think and work in their unique ways.

In my role, I support (project) teams made up of professionals who, often unknowingly, operate with distinct values, perspectives, and work methods. This “moral diversity” can present challenges, but as a practical philosopher, I help transform misunderstandings, biases, or resistance into opportunities for creativity and inspiration.

About Me

My multidisciplinary background is, beyond doubt my greatest asset. I studied both medical biology and philosophy, and my dissertation focused on a pioneer of biotechnology (the mouse). Later, I explored business administration as both a researcher and consultant. In 2023, I completed a three-year program in professional communication (systemic work, NLP, and Transactional Analysis) at Phoenix.

Some refer to me as a “multipotentialite,” others as an “integrative thinker.” I am both.

Contact

DE DAPPERE KIJKER

Once you give up integrity, the rest is a piece of cake.

J.R. Ewing

DE DAPPERE KIJKER (sorry only in Dutch) is for anyone who occasionally wonders: How do I actually know what the right thing to do is? How do I make the right choice in a difficult situation? Where do our morals come from? Or: what do I base my moral judgments on?

Using stories of heroes and villains from popular series, movies, and the Bible, I argue that we learn more from watching Netflix than from reading (dead) philosophers. Stories, unlike philosophical texts, are essential for developing morality. Fictional characters are collectively owned—everyone knows them or can get to know them. This makes meaningful conversations about their actions possible. Why are some actions merely foolish, while others are outright immoral?

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON ETHICS, MORAL LEADERSHIP, TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE, AND FICTION

Greed is not good, Five characteristics of ethical responsible organizations

According to me, ‘ethical’ organizations do not exist. Responsible organizations do. These are organizations that, in addition to economic goals, also pursue social goals and work seriously on them. They walk their talk. Responsible organizations recognize their function or role in society.

Blind spots

Every organization has blind spots. Every profession has its typical blind spots. Every person has them. But we are not aware of them. That's exactly what characterizes blind spots: you don’t see them.

Couples therapy at the workplace

Workplace couples therapy is a form of coaching that helps coworkers explore the dynamics of their communication. Why do misunderstandings happen? What are the expectations, and are they realistic? What do you each need from the other?

Ethics in two days

During the two-day Ethical Leadership training, you will learn interactively how to recognize, address, and solve ethical dilemmas. The focus of this training is not on the quality of the judgment but on the quality of the moral decision-making process.

What do successful carreer women look like?

NETFLIX offers a rich source of strong female role models. Women who struggle with combining the different roles assigned to them—mother, daughter, lover, wife, friend, career woman, boss, and manager. How do these women shape themselves? What do they look like? How do they behave? Who inspires them? This interactive lecture addresses these questions.

Do I feel lucky?

In this talk, I use 40 years of Clint Eastwood’s film history to show how our ideas about good and evil have evolved. The characters Eastwood portrays on the big screen have undergone a massive moral transformation since the 1960s. Once a simple gunslinger with no name, Eastwood now depicts fallible characters with moral depth.

About Ellen

I met Ellen when, as a biologist and philosopher, she was studying the evolution of organizations. Such a broad and fresh view was intriguing. Ellen always managed to surprise me with original questions, creative perspectives and integrative insights, born from wonder and sprinkled with a healthy dose of humor.

Professor Hein Schreuder, former VP corporate strategy DSM

Can she continue for a while? (In response to the question "does anyone have any questions for Ellen")

Visitor of the interactive lecture the woman as design issue

I worked with Ellen in developing the Trust Me, I'm an Artist project, which I initiated to investigate the novel ethical issues arising from artists working in labortatory settings. Ellen advised on the project and chaired a performative ethics commitee meeting at Waag Society interrogating the work of Adam Zaretsky. She has a wide understanding of the ethical concerns of science and a clear perspective on their impacts on society and culture. Ellen also wrote a wonderful essay which appeared in the book of the project and was an invaluable collaborator.

Anna Dumitriu, (bio)artist and head of the Institute for Unnecessary research