| Why is it important to establish the | | | | answer that entrepreneurship is the |
| moral status of entrepreneurship? Unless | | | | ticket to a decent chance for wealth. |
| it can be shown that the entrepreneur | | | | Certainly one can agree that between |
| does what is morally worthwhile as an | | | | stealing and producing, the latter is |
| entrepreneur, that his role is ethically | | | | more honorable. However what if quietism |
| praiseworthy, not only his or her status | | | | - the form of religious mysticism that |
| in the market but the market itself | | | | involves complete extinction of the |
| becomes vulnerable to serious moral | | | | human will, drawing away from worldly |
| criticism. This is because it is well | | | | things - is proposed as an alternative? |
| recognised that ethics are the free | | | | How about asceticism - the religious |
| market's life line. Many economists are | | | | ideal that one can reach a higher |
| beginning to realise this. Indeed, it is | | | | spiritual state by self-discipline and |
| entrepreneurial activity that makes the | | | | self-denial? How will the system that is |
| best sense of profit - another vital | | | | hospitable to entrepreneurship be |
| part of capitalism. | | | | defended in the light of such powerful |
| However, without also demonstrating that | | | | challenges? |
| entrepreneurship is ethical, the market | | | | The most serious challenges to |
| would at most be hospitable to morally | | | | capitalism come from those who contend |
| indifferent kinds of behavior; at worst | | | | that by making entrepreneurial effort |
| it would encourage moral callousness and | | | | possible - by protecting the rights to |
| discourage the pursuit of presumably | | | | private property and the pursuit of |
| morally more significant objectives, | | | | happiness here on earth - this system |
| such as order, self-restraint, artistic | | | | corrupts human life. It tends to permit |
| excellence, family values. | | | | the commercialisation of human |
| When a system is vulnerable in one of | | | | relationships, making us self-interested |
| its essential ingredients, competing | | | | economic agents instead of what we |
| systems that lack this weakness become | | | | really ought be, altruistic members of |
| very powerful if not immediately | | | | our community. |
| successful alternatives. Their images | | | | It is insufficient to reply that the |
| improve, even if their actual | | | | capitalist system makes it possible for |
| performance leaves a lot to be desired. | | | | people to attain a better life here on |
| Some argue that all we need is the | | | | earth. That is just what is in need of |
| hospitable environment, but this is | | | | defense. Why should we strive for such a |
| false. Even in the freest of societies | | | | life in the first place? |
| many, many potential market agents can | | | | In a society of just human |
| be lazy. Not that laziness is encouraged | | | | relationships, there must be a |
| but that it is clearly not foreclosed. | | | | consistent and constant hospitality to |
| That is partly what freedom means. One | | | | entrepreneurship because without this, |
| has a genuine choice whether to be | | | | an important moral dimension of human |
| productive or not. It is not enough to | | | | life would be suppressed or at least |
| show that under capitalism human beings | | | | seriously distorted. Without such a |
| are free, unless the kind of uses to | | | | welcome, public policy and law would |
| which such a system puts human effort | | | | yield to more widely accepted but sadly |
| can themselves bemorally worthwhile. So | | | | misguided moral sentiments, for example, |
| the question needs to be addressed. Why | | | | the call forgreater and greater state |
| should one be productive? Why should | | | | power to regiment or re-engineer society |
| entrepreneurship be practiced? What is | | | | instead of making it safe for natural |
| good about it? | | | | human initiative. |
| It is not enough by a long shot to | | | | |