The central argument of both the book and film is that the modern corporation is a . Bakan, a law professor, argues that because corporations are legally mandated to prioritize shareholder profit above all else, they mirror the clinical traits of a psychopath :
A consistent failure to consider the feelings or safety of others. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Pr...
The "pathological" nature of corporations leads them to offload costs (like pollution or poor labor conditions) onto society, a process economists call "externalities". The central argument of both the book and
The law requires corporate directors to act in the best interest of the corporation, which is almost always defined as maximizing short-term wealth for shareholders. This makes genuine "corporate social responsibility" technically illegal if it doesn't serve the bottom line. The law requires corporate directors to act in
A tendency to disregard social norms and laws if the cost of the fine is lower than the potential profit. Key Themes