Are Corporations Evil, Really?

When we look at the argument proposed by Joel Bakan, a law professor, in his works and documentaries, the portrayal of corporations is not so much about them being evil as dangerously flawed. According to Bakan, corporations can be likened to sociopaths, driven by their sole mandate to pursue self-interest relentlessly. This relentless pursuit often leads to harmful consequences, not because the corporations or the individuals running them are evil, but because their single-minded focus on profit can only result in harmful outcomes unless restrained by external forces.

Why Corporations Hoard Wealth

Leftists often argue that corporations are evil because they hoard wealth at the expense of the lower classes. But there is more to this phenomenon than greed. Corporations hoard wealth as a matter of survival. They are like organisms competing in a ruthless game of natural selection. The fittest survives, while the unfittest perishes. To survive, corporations must hoard wealth to secure a better position compared to their competitors.

The Moratorium on AI

The recent moratorium on AI development is a clear example of corporations prioritizing their survival over the well-being of humanity. Industry leaders, including those in leading corporations, called for a moratorium due to the grave risks AI poses. However, the moratorium was never enforced due to the fear that competitors might disobey and gain an advantage. This highlights how corporations are only driven by survival, at the expense of human welfare.

The True Cause: Industrial Society

The root of the problem lies not in the corporations themselves, but in the industrial society that created them. The Industrial Revolution heralded a terminal illness that has been detrimental to the world. Symptoms include the gradual replacement of humans, the demoralization of individuals, the destruction of cultures, AI, and the environmental crisis. These issues can all be traced back to the industrial society, and massive corporations are no different.

The Decline of Individual Power

Before the Industrial Revolution, corporations were limited. People, such as self-sufficient farmers or nomads, were not as dependent on corporations. Rapid communication technologies, which did not exist in those times, facilitated the formation of global corporations as we know them today. The Industrial Revolution forced society to become more intertwined through supply chains, pushing individuals and small groups to rely on corporations for survival. Today, nearly everyone is so dependent on corporations and states that they have very little power.

Towards a More Dignified Future

To address the issues caused by corporate and industrial dominance, the root cause, industrial society, needs to be dismantled. Expecting individuals or small groups to eliminate corporations to restore dignity would be futile. Instead, a more radical approach is needed to address the systemic issues. By radically rethinking industrial society and its structures, we can work towards a future where human dignity and the well-being of the world are restored.