"The Existential Enterprise": How Some Businesses Ruthlessly Embrace Camus's Philosophy

Albert Camus’s novel A Happy Death tells the story of Patrice Mersault, a man who rejects conventional morality in pursuit of his own version of happiness.

Mersault lives a mundane and dissatisfying life as a clerk in Algeria. He befriends a wealthy but disabled man named Roland Zagreus, who believes that happiness can be achieved by having both time and financial independence. Zagreus encourages Mersault to take control of his life by making bold choices rather than passively enduring it.

Influenced by Zagreus's philosophy and his own longing for freedom, Mersault murders Zagreus, framing it as a robbery. With the wealth he acquires from this act, Mersault leaves his old life behind and sets out to discover what true happiness means to him.

After the murder, Mersault travels across Europe in search of fulfillment. He spends time in various locations, including Prague and the Mediterranean coast, attempting to immerse himself in the beauty of the world and the experience of life. Eventually, he returns to Algeria and purchases a secluded villa overlooking the sea.

In his isolation, Mersault reflects on his actions, his understanding of happiness, and the nature of life itself. He strives to create a life that aligns with his newfound philosophy, embracing solitude and the present moment. His journey is marked by a deeper appreciation of time, freedom, and the simplicity of existence. There is no moral judgement in the story. It does not portray Mersault in good or bad light. Mersault himself does not feel guilt or ill feelings.

While Mersault's actions—particularly committing murder—raise major ethical questions, his existential journey offers a fascinating lens through which to view certain modern businesses.

What if some of the most successful companies in the world are not just profit-driven but fundamentally existential in their approach?

Could it be that some businesses operate like Mersault, pursuing their version of happiness while rejecting the ethical frameworks society often expects them to follow? And if so, what does this mean for the world we live in?

The Traits of the Existential Business

Some businesses today operate in a manner that closely mirrors the existential philosophy seen in A Happy Death. These businesses share a set of defining characteristics:

• Radical Autonomy: They act independently, often skirting or outright rejecting societal and regulatory norms.
• Pragmatic Results: Their ultimate goal is to achieve their own "happiness," whether that means profitability, market dominance, or innovation, with little regard for the means by which it is achieved.
• Rejection of Traditional Morality: Like Mersault, these businesses challenge conventional ethical standards, focusing instead on their self-defined objectives.
• Resilience and Adaptability: They thrive in uncertain or unregulated spaces, leveraging flexibility to maintain their advantage.

These traits allow such businesses to pursue their goals with the single-mindedness that Mersault exhibits, prioritizing success and autonomy above all else.

Profiles of Existential Businesses

Though many of these businesses may not overtly reject ethics, their actions reflect a similar existential pragmatism. Here are some general profiles of these "existential businesses":

a. The Unregulated Innovators

These companies enter uncharted territories, often outpacing regulations to disrupt industries. For example, early-stage ride-sharing platforms operated in legal gray areas, prioritizing growth over compliance. Their philosophy? Innovate first, ask for forgiveness later.

b. The Global Outsourcers

Multinational corporations often shift operations to regions with lax labor or environmental laws, optimizing profits at the cost of accountability. Their actions may exploit gaps in global governance, but they justify it as a necessary strategy to remain competitive.

c. The Digital Empires

Tech giants that harvest user data and engineer addictive platforms operate with a focus on growth, engagement, and profit. Ethical concerns, such as data privacy or mental health impacts, are often secondary considerations.

d. The Silent Exploiters

Industries like fast fashion or extractive mining profit from low-cost labor and resource exploitation, often concealing their practices behind opaque supply chains. Their "success" hinges on staying out of public view.

Camus and the Modern Business Landscape

The actions of these businesses bear striking similarities to Mersault’s existential journey:

• "The Will to Happiness": Like Mersault, these businesses prioritize their goals over societal expectations. Whether it’s market dominance, financial independence, or operational freedom, they focus on self-defined success.
• Rejection of Morality: These businesses often act pragmatically, sidestepping ethical considerations much like Mersault does. They are guided by outcomes, not principles.
• Creating Meaning in an Indifferent World: In a global economy that often rewards risk-taking and disruption, these businesses carve out their own meaning, operating in ways that align with their internal logic rather than external norms.

Are These Businesses Truly Happy?

Camus’s novel suggests that happiness is subjective and contingent on the choices we make. Similarly, these businesses may achieve their version of "happiness" by dominating markets or achieving unprecedented growth. However, this raises critical questions:

• The Cost of Success: Does their happiness come at the expense of others—employees, consumers, or the environment?
• Sustainability: Like Mersault’s fleeting peace, can these businesses maintain their success, or will public backlash, regulation, or internal crises eventually catch up with them?

Some businesses may find a "happy death"—achieving long-term success and societal acceptance despite their methods. Others may face collapse when their actions are exposed or when the systems they exploit are reformed.

What This Means for Us

These existential businesses operate amongst us, often without our full awareness. They provide products and services we rely on daily, shape economies, and redefine industries. Yet their actions challenge us to rethink the relationship between ambition, ethics, and success.

Are they innovators who push boundaries and redefine progress? Or are they opportunists who exploit gaps in accountability for short-term gain? The truth likely lies somewhere in between.

Conclusion

Camus’s A Happy Death offers a lens to examine modern businesses that prioritize autonomy and self-defined success over societal expectations. Like Mersault, these businesses make bold choices in pursuit of their goals, often operating beyond the reach of law enforcement, regulators, or public scrutiny.

As you interact with the products and services of these companies, consider this: Are they living authentically in an existential sense, or are they simply exploiting the absence of accountability? And how does recognizing their presence change the way you view the modern business landscape?