The Corporation - Book Review

The Corporation: A Book Review

Joel Bakan’s book, The Corporation: the Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, is a decisive look into the mind of the corporation, or big business. It outlines the importance of profit in business and how ruthless corporations are willing to be in order to bring in substantial revenue. The book uses a historical timeframe to portray the ruthlessness of business ever since the idea of the corporation arose in the 17th century. It provides an insight into a world of cheating, lying and stealing in order to advance in society; which is ultimately the goal Bakan was looking to reach. He provides many cases, examples and accounts which help the reader to understand the scheming which takes place and how the corporation is legally obliged to pursue profit at all cost for its shareholders.

Bakan begins by examining the history of the corporation starting in the 17th and following through to the 20th century. Here is provides the idea that the recklessness in today’s corporations can be traced back to acts committed periodically over the past centuries. He provides examples of companies such as the South Sea company and the railways in the United States and Great Britain. Businesses which were pilots in the creation of companies that had limited liabilities and produced restrictions that were both desirable and needed for the corporation. Bakan also uses the beginning of the book to present the US Supreme Courts decision to give the corporation the same rights as an individual would receive. This leads way into the remainder of the book with the idea that now that corporations were being considered to hold the same rights as human beings, they held the capacity to take over society. This would leave everyone else essentially useless outside of the big business world. One of Bakan’s main premises with this regard is that is the corporation is to be considered the same right as a person, if it to were hold characteristics and attributes associated with humans, it should be considered a psychopath.

Bakan provides a comprehensive analysis of the idea of psychopathology and how its traits relate to the corporation. To do this he obtains a list from Dr. Robert Hare, a psychologist and expert in psychopathology. Dr. Hare uses a checklist to prove the point, stating the corporation is:

• Irresponsible - it puts others at risk in pursuit of its own goals.

• Manipulative - it manipulates everything, including public opinion

• Grandiose - it always insisting that it is the best

• Lacking empathy and Remorse - it cannot feel remorse for its actions

• Refusing to accept Responsibility вЂ" will not accept responsibility for their actions

• Superficial вЂ" only real goal is to present themselves to the public in the light which they look best.

With this all together we are presented with the format for a psychopath. This is a great way for Bakan to help the reader’s understand what is really happening with the corporation. It gives the reader’s a basis for comparison and allows them to associate specific attributes with the organization and goals of the corporation. I think it is also important to note that Bakan does point out this is not necessarily all corporations fitting into this mold. It is just the idea of the structural organization of the corporation which portrays such.

We are then preceded to acknowledge Bakan’s view on the idea of the limited liability corporation. He shows both sides for why it is an appropriate form of business, but attempts to influence his readers into seeing that it really just opens the corporations up for no accountability. It is depicted that in order for these limited liability corporations to exist they must be granted by the state, and this is allowing the corporation to rise to prominence in society. This suggests that without the assistance of the state the corporation would not exist, but this does not mean some alternative form would not emerge. Later on, this idea of the corporation’s sole existence as dependent on the state, will be addressed.

One of Bakan’s main concerns throughout the book was the corporations’ use of cost-benefit analysis when decided which restrictions or safety measures they are going to follow. One specific example he used to aid in proving the irresponsibility of corporations was a lady who was driving a Chevrolet Malibu when another car slammed into her from behind. Upon impact the gas tank exploded which caused her children to be burnt. She then took her case to court in an attempt to sue General Motors for producing a gas tank which was unsafe and of poor design. When the car was originally test driven a memo had concluded that it would be cheaper to keep the current tank as it was then to produce a safer design. General Motors had concluded that the number of paying for the number of fatalities per vehicle on the road would be cheaper than reproducing a new gas tank to refit its vehicles. It is reasons like this that leads Bakan to conclude that cost-benefit analysis needs to be reviewed and legislation involved. Corporations need to be prevented from “acting in ways that are reasonably likely to cause harm, even if definitive proof that such harms will occur does not exist.”(PG 162) This is not the only case Bakan provides to help us see the idea of cost-benefit and how the desire for profit outweighs the general concern for human life.

As the book progressed we saw Bakan’s idea of the corporation as a machine built to destroy the environment, wages and health; all at no cost to itself. He condemns the corporations and its corruption and provides further examples of misdeeds which have been committed. Bakan realizes

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