Philosophical Perspective on Entrepreneurship

From a phenomenological perspective, we can understand the entrepreneur as a phenomenon that is historical and modern, and as deeply connected to the history of humanity. It is also clear that the entrepreneur, in his or her existence as a human being, is acting, and is acting situated in a context. This is a matter of being, and of being in the Lifeworld. So the philosophical reflection is on what this means and how to understand the entrepreneur´s Lifeworld. What also must be involved in an understanding of this being and acting in the world is that acting is connected to consciousness, and that the process of seeing and experiencing must include a perspective that can imply the way of thinking and the way of acting in time and space. The discussion will draw upon some of the central scholars in a phenomenological ontology and epistemology, such as: Kant, Husserl, Heidegger, Schütz, Merleau-Ponty, and Gadamer. Central in their thoughts are cognition, consciousness, being, and acting in the world. Some others that could have been included in this phenomenological existential perspective are Kirkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Løgstrup.