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It might be added that corporations have no consciences…

“It might be added that corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their ‘personhood’ often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of…” quote by John Paul Stevens
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“It might be added that corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their ‘personhood’ often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of ‘We the People’ by whom and for whom our Constitution was established.”

John Paul Stevens

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Corporations are legal constructs without personal consciousness, serving as tools for human activity, not members of the people.

In simple terms: Corporations lack feelings and are legal fictions, not citizens.

Key Takeaway

Recognize corporate limits in democratic discourse.

Themes

law government personhood citizenship

Mood

critical analytical

Type

legal political

When to use this quote

  • policy debates
  • corporate regulation
  • public advocacy
  • legal education

Key Concepts

Legal fiction corporate personhood constitutional law

Questions to Reflect On

  • How should law treat corporate influence?
  • Can corporations be held accountable like individuals?
A Different Perspective

Corporations can still wield significant power despite lacking consciousness.

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