On 7 May 2022, I gave a talk at TEDxFS at Frankfurt School. Students organized the event. The title of my speech was “The business argument for democracy”.
Most people agree that living in an open, democratic society is good. When it comes to business and economic development, however, the discussion sometimes becomes indifferent or even inclined towards more authoritarian systems, which supposedly offer the benefits of faster decisions and a more business-friendly environment. Looking at the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, I argue that democracy is not just normatively the right thing but also makes hard-nosed business sense.