From Precarity to Moral Authenticity: Butler, Ghazali, and Polycrisis Ethics

ABSTRACT In contemporary polycrisis scenarios, characterized by intertwined global disruptions, ethical frameworks face significant limitations due to intensified uncertainty, systemic vulnerability, and moral ambiguity. This paper synthesizes Judith Butler's relational ethics of precarity with Abu Hamid al‐Ghazali's Islamic virtue ethics of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) to propose “moral authenticity” as a robust ethical orientation for navigating polycrisis contexts. Butler's emphasis on relational vulnerability demands empathetic and nonviolent ethical responses but lacks concrete guidance for operationalizing these responsibilities. Ghazali's internal virtue‐based approach provides essential moral clarity and intentional alignment but insufficiently addresses structural and relational vulnerabilities. By integrating these perspectives, this study presents four theoretical propositions demonstrating how recognizing stakeholder precarity fosters ethical sincerity, translating awareness into moral authenticity, mitigating moral nihilism, and enhancing organizational ethical resilience. This integrative framework offers both theoretical advancement and practical guidance for authentic ethical leadership and decision‐making amidst profound complexity and uncertainty.