Education & Research
The Foundation’s Education & Research programme therefore aims to strengthen the ability to engage in discourse, as well as the capacity for moral judgement and action in the field of economics. Furthermore, the Foundation seeks to ensure that the topic of ethics in business is given greater consideration in education in the fields of economics and the social sciences.
Acceptance as a prerequisite for the market economy
Just as with democracy, the existence of the market economy depends on public acceptance. The economic system is not a natural system, but rather the result of individual action, social processes and political decisions. For this reason, the question of which norms and values should apply in the economic sphere requires social and political discourse.
This discourse is not merely a debate amongst the elite; rather, citizens – as voters, consumers, employees or entrepreneurs, and as investors – are constantly involved in the negotiation of moral issues in the economy and are affected by them in many ways.
The ethics of responsibility as a reflection on the economy
Ethical questions and economic action cannot be separated, which is why the capacity for moral judgement should be an integral part of economic education. Conversely, a rational ethical assessment necessarily requires a minimum level of economic understanding; otherwise, there is a significant risk of arbitrary moralising. General economic literacy is therefore essential for political decision-making and forms part of education for democracy.
The Foundation’s projects and materials are therefore based on the principle of accountability for the consequences of actions and their outcomes as a guiding pedagogical principle of economic education.
In reflecting upon, justifying and discussing this accountability, equal consideration is given to the levels of the economic system, the enterprise and the economic citizen. The aim is to educate young people who are capable of critical thinking and sound judgement, whilst also being capable of taking action, so that they can participate actively and competently in shaping society.