Ethical Foundations of Competitive Order According to Walter Eucken

Abstract

Ordoliberalism is a German economic and legal doctrine, in which ethics occupies a privileged place. The basic premise is the freedom and responsibility of human beings. In contrast, the starting point for considering ordoliberalism as a doctrine is the economic, social and political order. The most prominent representative of this doctrine was Walter Eucken. Achievements of this outstanding economist, and other representatives of this school underlay the concept of the German social market economy and EU competition policy. The aim of this article is to present the concept of Eucken’s competitive order and describe its philosophical and ethical foundation. The article uses the method of descriptive analysis and literaturę studies.The “Annales. Ethics in Economic Life” is affiliated and co-financed by the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz