Title: A philosophical approach to entrepreneurship education: a model based on Kantian and Aristotelian thought

Authors: Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini; Cristiano Ciappei; Giacomo Marzi; Marina Dabić; Carolyn P. Egri

Addresses: Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Columbia, 2, 00133 Roma RM, Italy ' Department of Sciences for Business and Economics, University of Florence, Via delle Pandette, 32, 50127 Firenze, Italy ' Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Wharf E, LN5 7AT, Lincoln, UK ' Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG14BU, UK ' Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1W6, Canada

Abstract: In the field of entrepreneurship education, how to develop an effective program to teach entrepreneurship has been widely debated. However, an inductive approach based on analysis of educational program experiences and outcomes has led to mixed conclusions about the appropriate scope and structure of entrepreneurship education. In contrast, we take a deductive approach to develop a comprehensive entrepreneurship education model based on concepts from two schools of philosophical thought: the Kantian debate about freedom versus determinism, and the Aristotelian concepts of praxis and poïesis. These philosophical concepts are related to scope and structure dimensions that delineate the soft (art) and hard (science) of entrepreneurship education, their components and interrelationships. Pedagogies associated with each component as well as integrative pedagogies are identified to guide the development of entrepreneurship education programs and teaching. Theoretical propositions are presented for future research.

Keywords: entrepreneurship education; philosophy of entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial acting; entrepreneurship pedagogies; Aristotle; Kant.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2021.112248

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2021 Vol.42 No.1/2, pp.203 - 231

Received: 02 Nov 2018
Accepted: 09 Nov 2018
Published online: 06 Jan 2021 *

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