When a company or an entire
industry skips over the good of the whole—the public good—in lobbying for legislation
that only reflects the needs or desires of individuals (qua consumers only), the society itself (and even the Earth) is
slighted and thus more at risk. For the
good of the whole is more than just the cumulative needs and desires of
individuals in part because the latter do not take into account the wider
effects of their choices. When an individual company or industry takes this
point into account and rebuffs favorable legislative proposals because they
would do too much damage to society and/or the planet, social responsibility is
at hand. Companies or industries that do not are thus irresponsible from the
standpoint of the whole, which, through government, is justified in keeping an
eye on them (especially in making transparent their efforts to influence
legislation and regulation. The American auto and oil industries can be
distinguished in this regard.
The full essay is at "Industries: Putting a Part Above the Whole."
