Philosophy Now Forum

Whether you like it or not, organisations are here to stay so I don't intend to comment on this any further than to say that they are a legal person and a documentary called The Corporation describes then as having psycotic traits.

The question is how to deal with the unfortunate situation that they have more influence than our governments and the fact that the legal duty of a corporation is to put the shareholder first.

Could Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) the answer? (Bear in mind there over 40 definitions)

Milton Friedman (1970) says that only HUMANS can be socially responsible for their actions.

Christian Aid say that CSR is just merely a way of getting out of more stringent legislation.

People are more aware of unethical acts through pressure groups and the media. Is this the driving force for 'charitable' actions? Put another way Does building a school or hospital make it alright to shaft poor nations and take the resources that could help them out of poverty?

I don't dispute the right of organisations to make a profit but maybe they should help to build infrastructures and put more back into the community because after all the governments of poor countries are corrupt and it is they who allow corporations to legally take the resources. Would corporations try such practices in UK? Current philanthropy I believe is a hoax.

Would committing CSR to legislation help sway the balance?

I would say yes because it would force 'ethical' corporations to raise the bar due to minimum standards being higher. Also a greater regard for stakeholders rather than stakeholders would help the situation.

Another a major obstacle to ethical decisions is that corporations use as an excuse for the above unethical practices is the pressure to keep prices down. Higher prices for products may be inevitable in return for a fairer distribution of wealth.

Would we accept this?

Maybe it is not just organisations that have psychotic traits after all.

Arguments and sources for the above points would be appreciated.

This message is a good example of disordered thought. Why do they find thias forum?

This message is a good example of disordered thought. Why do such "thinkers" find this forum?

Seems fine to me. CSR is an interesting topic.

Please elaborate what is disordered about it, except for a few words that got mixed up.

Would it be possible to circomvent corruption by avoiding any cash flows, that is by providing the goods directly ?
The corrupt governements would not like it of course but would they be able to refuse ?

Would anybody enforce this Corporate Social Responsibility? Or would it just be a way of advertising actions favourable to the organization, which happen to also be favourable to most people affected by it? Since stakeholders often don't have the funds to invest in companies, there would be no immediate benefit for the corporation, so CSR would have to be enforced by threatening fines or prison terms, if CSR is not upheld. This however, would incite the corporation to leave its cuntry of origin.

So, as you put it, it really is up to us non-starving consumers to demand to have working conditions or resource-exploitation conditions improved in exchange for higher prices paid by us.
If people were like this, then the market would force the corporations to act ethically, as they wouldn't be able to sell their unethically produced shit.

The only other option would be to establish some sort of world-wide CSR-enforcing agency.

In conclusion, we all are mild versions of psychopathy, as our behavior knowingly hurts others through an elaborate chain of events and it don't even keep us awake at night.

They could resell the goods

By "goods" I meant building the infrastructure like roads, bridges, wells, schools, hospitals ...

I think the days of the Corporation are numbered - as we realise more and more what a monster we have created.
With all the rights of the individual and none of the responsibilities, its only a matter of time that we will allow this endless pursuit of proffit AT THE EXPENSE OF ANYTHING/EVERTYTHING ELSE to continue. If an individual behaved like some of these corporations we would send them for help with their Psychotic behaviour or simply lock them away from the rest of society.
Economics (and concern for the shareholder) has one big fault in that its simply not working for the rest of the planet. Resource Based Economics is a start.
Corporate Social Responsibilty sounds a bit like warm ice-cream to me - it just isn't going to happen.
"Will it actually make any difference if one person stands up to be heard?" wonder 6 billion people.
Keep the communication revolution rolling and times will change.

Solipsism requires that souls and persons are impossible to match up.