>"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give as an exchange for his soul?"
This would only affect people who assume “they” have an immortal component, i.e. a soul.
Conscience doesn't really die overnight (and this is from my experience of living in a corrupt society), it's a death-by-a-thousand-cuts situation. The beginning is "Come on, everyone is doing it" and you can guess the end.
Well, some are ruthless and competitive without coscience even as kids, and continue so...
Integrity also works as an asset that can be lost to corruption. And for those that aren't inclined to put much stock in that sort of inner-life intangible, consider reputation as an outward facing stand-in.