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Questioning Our Enduring Faith in the Entrepreneur : Why Business Ethics Is Not Going to Save Us in an Algorithmic World

Sørensen, Bent Meier and Spoelstra, Sverre LU (2026)
Abstract
In this chapter, we explore the relationship between business ethics and faith. We suggest that faith in business ethics predominantly plays the role of the therapeu-tic: It soothes the real functioning of business with various idealized conceptions of it. Unfolding this argument, we begin the chapter by showing how business ethics is largely motivated by a now-shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur. But this does not mean that business ethics is faithless. The shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur has made way for a number of newly created figures and concepts, including social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and responsible leadership. The belief is that these figures and concepts are capable of... (More)
In this chapter, we explore the relationship between business ethics and faith. We suggest that faith in business ethics predominantly plays the role of the therapeu-tic: It soothes the real functioning of business with various idealized conceptions of it. Unfolding this argument, we begin the chapter by showing how business ethics is largely motivated by a now-shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur. But this does not mean that business ethics is faithless. The shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur has made way for a number of newly created figures and concepts, including social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and responsible leadership. The belief is that these figures and concepts are capable of correcting business’ dark sides, without disrupting the faith in business itself. In recent years, the rapid rise of algorithms in business has only fueled the desire to find human and humane alternatives to (real or imagined) advances of the machines. The danger, however, is that this faith in redeeming figures and concepts does little to challenge the path thatbusinessison.. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics
editor
Luetge, Christoph and Thejls Ziegle, Marianne
publisher
Springer
ISBN
978-94-007-6176-6
DOI
10.1007/978-94-007-6176-6_32-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
57f87f55-5c3e-4d27-aa52-87e6cc53cec3
date added to LUP
2026-07-26 11:46:29
date last changed
2026-08-06 09:27:43
@inbook{57f87f55-5c3e-4d27-aa52-87e6cc53cec3,
  abstract     = {{In this chapter, we explore the relationship between business ethics and faith. We suggest that faith in business ethics predominantly plays the role of the therapeu-tic: It soothes the real functioning of business with various idealized conceptions of it. Unfolding this argument, we begin the chapter by showing how business ethics is largely motivated by a now-shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur. But this does not mean that business ethics is faithless. The shattered faith in the capitalist entrepreneur has made way for a number of newly created figures and concepts, including social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and responsible leadership. The belief is that these figures and concepts are capable of correcting business’ dark sides, without disrupting the faith in business itself. In recent years, the rapid rise of algorithms in business has only fueled the desire to find human and humane alternatives to (real or imagined) advances of the machines. The danger, however, is that this faith in redeeming figures and concepts does little to challenge the path thatbusinessison..}},
  author       = {{Sørensen, Bent Meier and Spoelstra, Sverre}},
  booktitle    = {{Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics}},
  editor       = {{Luetge, Christoph and Thejls Ziegle, Marianne}},
  isbn         = {{978-94-007-6176-6}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  title        = {{Questioning Our Enduring Faith in the Entrepreneur : Why Business Ethics Is Not Going to Save Us in an Algorithmic World}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6176-6_32-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-94-007-6176-6_32-1}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}