ABSTRACT
This final chapter of the application section builds on the figures of thought outlined earlier. It investigates the implication of the use of commercial thoughts and language in settings where these have not always been deemed appropriate. This concentration on commerce and its potentially problematic implications also builds on the traditional Marxist critique of capitalism. It is, however, less of a general critique of capitalism than the attempt to delineate the legitimate boundaries of capitalism. In some respects the chapter is inspired by Habermas’s description of the colonisation of the life-world. While Habermas’s argument focused on the rebuttal of systems theoretic critiques of his work, this idea that impersonal systems such as markets are replacing traditional ways of interacting is applicable to a variety of situations. The argument here will show why and how economic considerations have the potential to be detrimental to established positions or practices. As in most of the other applications of critical theory in IS considered so far, the concept of ethics will play a central role in the argument.
