Professor Günter Strunk, Gabor Mues and our colleague Dr Christian Bühring-Uhle invited guests to explore this question on 20 June in the traditionally Bavarian setting of the Ludwigs-Salettl at the Bamberger Haus in Munich.

They were joined by Professor Harald Seubert of the Basel School of Theology, a philosopher and scholar of religion, who delivered an impassioned keynote address to an audience of business owners, advisory board members, next-generation family members and management experts.

Drawing on the distinction between an ethic of responsibility and an ethic of conviction, he traced the importance of responsible conduct from antiquity to the present day, including the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the growing systemic rivalry between East and West.

The lively discussion that followed considered responsibility from a range of perspectives, from raising children and the culture of political and academic debate to succession in family businesses.