Between Market and Morality: Analyzing the Illusion of Prestige

This article provides an in-depth analysis of contemporary market trends in which the line between morality and business is blurring. The author examines Vivek Ramaswamy's concept of 'wokeness' as a new form of corporate religion, used to build the illusion of prestige. The text provides a detailed discussion of the evolution of non-financial reporting standards, focusing on the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) and the principle of double materiality. The study also addresses the sociology of identity-based consumption and the legal framework for controlling digital platforms in the context of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The paper concludes by juxtaposing Friedman's classic doctrine with modern stakeholder capitalism, shedding light on how KPIs and ESG auditability are becoming new tools for shaping corporate market value in the era of surveillance capitalism.