Abstract:

The article Entrepreneurship through Time: From Economic Function to Life Competence explores the historical evolution of entrepreneurship from ancient trade practices to its contemporary understanding as a key life competence . Starting from the premise that history serves as a lens through which we interpret the present and shape the future, the paper examines how entrepreneurship has transformed from a narrowly defined economic function into a multidimensional phenomenon with social, cultural, and educational implications.

The analysis traces early entrepreneurial activities in Mesopotamia, Phoenician trade, and the Roman Empire, through medieval guild systems and mercantilism, to the Industrial Revolution and the theoretical contributions of Cantillon, Say, and Schumpeter. Particular attention is given to Schumpeter’s concept of the entrepreneur as an agent of “creative destruction” and to the role of entrepreneurship in economic development and institutional change. The paper also contrasts the market-driven American model with the more socially embedded European approach, especially in the fields of education and public policy.

A central part of the discussion addresses competing narratives of the entrepreneur – from the dominant “Messiah” narrative portraying entrepreneurs as heroic saviours of society, to the “Sisyphus” counternarrative that emphasizes precarity, failure, and structural constraints. The article critically reflects on how mainstream discourse often overlooks the relational, collective, and institutional dimensions of entrepreneurial action, as well as marginalized voices.

The paper concludes that entrepreneurship has evolved from a primarily economic activity into a transversal life competence encompassing creativity, initiative, resilience, ethical decision-making, and social responsibility. In the context of rapid technological change and global uncertainty, entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of lifelong learning, contributing not only to economic growth but also to personal development, social inclusion, and the creation of more innovative and resilient societies.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurship, life competence, historical evolution, creative destruction, entrepreneurial narratives, lifelong learning, social responsibility.