TY  - CONF
TI  - Lean construction epistemology: human-centered insights from Plato and Aristotle
AU  - Romo, Rubén
AU  - Forcael, Eric
AU  - Moreno, Francisco
AU  - Orozco, Francisco
AD  - Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara 45010, Mexico; rromog@up.edu.mx, orcid.org/0000-0002-5941-0173
AD  - Professor, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile; eric.forcael@uss.cl, orcid.org/0000-0002-3036-4329
AD  - Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara 45010, Mexico; fmorenoa@up.edu.mx, orcid.org/0000-0003-4058-9350
AD  - Professor, School of Engineering, Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara 45010, Mexico; forozco@up.edu.mx, orcid.org/0000-0003-2409-1026
ED  - Hamzeh, Farook
ED  - Poshdar, Mani
ED  - Garcia-Lopez,, Nelly P.
ED  - Gan, Vincent
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/22
T2  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
C3  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
CY  - Singapore, Singapore
SP  - 642
EP  - 654
DO  - 10.24928/2026/0309
SN  - 2789-0015 (ISSN)
AB  - The purpose of this article is to explore how the philosophical ideas of the “Person” and human well-being articulated by the key Greek thinkers, Plato and Aristotle, provide a foundational framework for understanding contemporary approaches to value creation in Lean Construction (LC). By examining Plato’s vision of the human being as oriented toward ideal forms and ethical elevation, alongside Aristotle’s conception of the person as a rational, emotional, and social agent whose flourishing depends on balance and practical wisdom, this study highlights how classical philosophy continues to inform modern notions of comfort, well-being, and ethical practice in the built environment. The article shows how important philosophical concepts, such as Plato’s quest for the ideal good and Aristotle’s emphasis on eudaimonia, harmony, and moral action, align with the tenets of LC, particularly its emphasis on respect for people, ongoing improvement, and the optimization of circumstances to enhance human experience. The primacy of the Human-centered in Lean processes connects with Greek thought, in which well-being, virtue, and correct conduct serve as the basis for any purposeful production. The research provides a conceptual paradigm that integrates Platonic and Aristotelian perspectives on the Person with contemporary management techniques through Lean principles.
KW  - Plato
KW  - Aristotle
KW  - human-centered insights
KW  - lean construction
KW  - lean theory.
L1  - https://www.iglc.net/papers/details/2586/pdf
UR  - https://www.iglc.net/papers/details/2586
DB  - IGLC.net
LA  - English
N1  - Export date: 04 October 2026
ER  -