Das handlungsorientierende Potenzial von Corporate Citizenship steckt im wörtlichen Begriffsverständnis. Statt ihn, wie es noch oft geschieht, nur als Synonym für CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) oder für "Corporate Giving" zu verwenden, gilt es das Unternehmen und seine Rolle im Ganzen unter dem bürgergesellschaftilchen Horizont neu zu verstehen. Der Beitrag erläutert diese politisch-philosophische Perspektive unter drei grundlegenden Aspekten verantwortlicher Unternehmensführung:
- Vom separativen zum integrativen Verständnis
- Vom privatistischen zum republikanisch-ethischen Verständnis
- Vom funktionalistischen zum prinzipiengeleiteten Verständnis.
As long as the economy is not embedded in a superordinate societal framework the problem of sustainable development cannot be solved within the logic of the market system. The establishment of such a framework is an epochal cultural and political task. The well-known definition of sustainable development by the Brundtland Commission fails to make this clear since it neglects the importance of interpersonal obligations (rights and duties). But from an ethical perspective, interpersonal obligations are essential.
The discourse on sustainability is dominated by the technocratic illusion that more "eco-efficiency" of our economic means is enough and that the purposes of our economic activities need not be put into question. Contrary to this illusion, it is argued here that we need to develop a socio-ecological understanding of the problem and to recognize that "sustainable development" after all is just another term for establishing social, international and intergenerational fairness and justice.
After raising the awareness for this understanding in the first section, the second section of this paper presents a problem-solving approach that includes four elementary steps of rethinking and establishing socio-ecological policies by means of limiting the inherent necessities of market competition.
As long as the economy is not embedded in a superordinate societal framework the problem of sustainable development cannot be solved within the logic of the market system. The establishment of such a framework is an epochal cultural and political task. The well-known definition of sustainable development by the Brundtland Commission fails to make this clear since it neglects the importance of interpersonal obligations (rights and duties). But from an ethical perspective, interpersonal obligations are essential. The discourse on sustainability is dominated by the technocratic illusion that more "eco-efficiency" of our economic means is enough and that the purposes of our economic activities need not be put into question. Contrary to this illusion, it is argued here that we need to develop a
socio-ecological understanding of the problem and to recognize that "sustainable development" after all is just another term for establishing social, international and intergenerational fairness and justice. After raising the awareness for this understanding in the first section, the second section of this paper presents a problem-solving approach that includes four elementary steps of rethinking and establishing socio-ecological policies by means of limiting the inherent necessities of market competition.
Online: http://addletonacademicpublishers.com/economics-management-and-financial...
JEL: A11, L17, Q01
Something must have gone wrong with the modern project of liberal society and market economy: economic progress doesn't any longer enlarge citizens' real freedom and improve the social situation. Rather, it develops inherent necessities which seem to turn against the weaker part of society. Especially in European countries, the welfare state is running behind, fighting against the symptoms of "exploding" social costs of private business. The challenge of today is to rethink the principles of a well-ordered society of free and equal citizens and to re-embed market economy into these principles, or in brief: to "civilize" market economy. From an ethical point of view, real civic freedom takes precedence over "free markets". Such a republican liberalism is essentially different than market liberalism. With the core idea of economic citizenship rights, a new perspective of emancipatory social progress comes into view…
