25 - Concluding observations

Summary

Be bold – allow yourself to envision a life-conducive economy

Throughout this book, authors from diverse personal and academic backgrounds have argued that the purpose of economic activity should be to serve mankind. This may look somewhat idealistic or even naïve at first sight. However, we believe the arguments presented in this book build a strong case for working towards a more life-conducive economy. We have learned that there have been humanistic principles throughout history, within different religious and cultural traditions across the globe, as well as in the development of economic thought. In practice, we also increasingly find examples of humanists using entrepreneurial means to foster genuine life-serving developments, while topics such as business ethics, social entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility continuously deepen their footprint in management education and research.

Clearly, building a more life-conducive economy and redefining the role of business in society accordingly means aiming high. Simultaneously, we should realize that our economic activities are not governed by laws of nature, but follow man-made rules. We chose to adopt these rules and, consequently, we can also choose to change them or at least allow them to evolve in the light of new knowledge – free of (sometimes dogmatic) status quo conserving defense mechanisms.

If one is asked to decide whether changes in any context are positive or not, one depends on a vision of a desired outcome.