TY - JOUR
T1 - The Liberating Power of Commercial Marketing
AU - Anker, Thomas Boysen
AU - Kappel, Klemens
AU - Sandøe, Peter
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - The aim of this article is to explore the impact of commercial marketing on personal autonomy. Several philosophers argue that marketing conflicts with ideals of autonomy or, at best, is neutral to these ideals. After qualifying our concept of marketing and introducing the distinctions between (i) divergent and convergent marketing and (ii) being autonomous and acting autonomously, we demonstrate the heretofore unnoticed positive impact of marketing on autonomy. Specifically, we argue that (i) convergent marketing has a significant potential to reinforce autonomous action and (ii) divergent marketing has a significant potential to reinforce the state of being autonomous.
AB - The aim of this article is to explore the impact of commercial marketing on personal autonomy. Several philosophers argue that marketing conflicts with ideals of autonomy or, at best, is neutral to these ideals. After qualifying our concept of marketing and introducing the distinctions between (i) divergent and convergent marketing and (ii) being autonomous and acting autonomously, we demonstrate the heretofore unnoticed positive impact of marketing on autonomy. Specifically, we argue that (i) convergent marketing has a significant potential to reinforce autonomous action and (ii) divergent marketing has a significant potential to reinforce the state of being autonomous.
KW - Faculty of Humanities
KW - autonomous agency
KW - first- and second-order desires
KW - critical reflection
KW - cultural values
KW - divergent and convergent marketing
KW - being an autonomous person
U2 - 10.1007/s10551-009-0236-4
DO - 10.1007/s10551-009-0236-4
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0167-4544
VL - 93
SP - 519
EP - 530
JO - Journal of Business Ethics
JF - Journal of Business Ethics
IS - 4
ER -