--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The corporation was originally conceived…" description: "\"The corporation was originally conceived as a public institution whose purpose was to serve national interests and advance the public good.\" — Joel Bakan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg" --- # The corporation was originally conceived as a public… ![“The corporation was originally conceived as a public institution whose purpose was to serve national interests and advance the public good.” quote by Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg) > “The corporation was originally conceived as a public institution whose purpose was to serve national interests and advance the public good.” [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Corporations were meant to serve public interests, not just private profit. **In simple terms:** Corporations should serve the public good. Key Takeaway Promote corporate responsibility. Themes corporations public good ethics purpose Mood critical concerned Type ethical political When to use this quote - policy making - community projects - consumer activism - shareholder meetings Key Concepts Business ethics law Questions to Reflect On - How can public interest be enforced? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Profit motives often dominate, diluting public purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporation/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [National interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-interests/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [The notion that you go to a public institution in order to learn private information about yourself is absurd. We used to understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/the-notion-that-you-go-to-a-public-institution-in-order-to-learn/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [I didn't grow up thinking to myself, 'Someday, if I play all my cards right, I can end up in a public institution with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brauchler/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-to-myself-someday-if-i-play-all-my-cards/) [George Brauchler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brauchler/) > [Law is just one public institution, but it is a cornerstone of society. When law goes, everything goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/law-is-just-one-public-institution-but-it-is-a-cornerstone-of-society/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [In a laissez-faire society, there could exist no public institution with the power to forcefully protect people from themselves. From other people (criminals), yes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/in-a-laissez-faire-society-there-could-exist-no-public-institution/) [Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/) > [Education is here placed among the articles of public care, not that it would be proposed to take its ordinary branches out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/education-is-here-placed-among-the-articles-of-public-care-not-that/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Every public institution in the United States and most private ones are corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/every-public-institution-in-the-united-states-and-most-private-ones/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The corporation is not an independent "person" with its own rights, needs, and desires that regulators must respect. It is a state created tool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-is-not-an-independent-person-with-its-own-rights/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [A government, the constitution of which renders it unfit to be trusted with all the powers which a free people ought to delegate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-government-the-constitution-of-which-renders-it-unfit-to-be-trusted/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [I'm oftentimes asked, What difference does it make to America if people are dying of malaria in a place like Ghana? It means a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-oftentimes-asked-what-difference-does-it-make-to-america-if/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm convinced after spending three weeks in China and Tibet, unless the United States gets its act together, our grandchildren will be living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-kondracke/i-m-convinced-after-spending-three-weeks-in-china-and-tibet-unless/) [Mort Kondracke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-kondracke/) > [Look, I don't mind if the President sends a budget which he knows is not going to achieve anything. But when he prefaces his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/look-i-don-t-mind-if-the-president-sends-a-budget-which-he-knows-is/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I don't believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans aren't that desperate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chase-smith/i-don-t-believe-the-american-people-will-uphold-any-political-party/) [Margaret Chase Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chase-smith/) > [So, the point I'm making is, we are not going to cut spending in Washington if we think it's the job of every congressman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/so-the-point-i-m-making-is-we-are-not-going-to-cut-spending-in/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [If Britain pursues a more independent foreign policy, it might be possible then. And if it is guided by commitments to its allies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/if-britain-pursues-a-more-independent-foreign-policy-it-might-be/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [If I were a German today, I would be proud, proud but also worried. I would be proud of the magnificent achievement of rebuilding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/if-i-were-a-german-today-i-would-be-proud-proud-but-also-worried-i/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) ## More by Joel Bakan > [The corporation is not an independent "person" with its own rights, needs, and desires that regulators must respect. It is a state created tool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-is-not-an-independent-person-with-its-own-rights/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [The corporation, like the psychopathic personality it resembles, is programmed to exploit others for profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-like-the-psychopathic-personality-it-resembles-is/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [As a psychopathic creature, the corporation can neither recognize nor act upon moral reasons to refrain from harming others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/as-a-psychopathic-creature-the-corporation-can-neither-recognize-nor/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [“The problem with capitalism is that "we have a global theology without morality, without a Bible." And that's dangerous, he warns - "we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-problem-with-capitalism-is-that-we-have-a-global-theology-without/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [Corporations now govern society, perhaps more than governments themselves do; yet ironically, it is their very power, much of which they have gained through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/corporations-now-govern-society-perhaps-more-than-governments/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [The notion that business and government are and should be partners is ubiquitous, unremarkable, and repeated like a mantra by leaders in both domains.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-notion-that-business-and-government-are-and-should-be-partners-is/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [By leveraging their freedom from the bonds of location, corporations could now dictate the economic policy of governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/by-leveraging-their-freedom-from-the-bonds-of-location-corporations/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [Dodge v. Ford still stands for the legal principal that managers and directors have a legal duty to put the shareholders' interests above all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/dodge-v-ford-still-stands-for-the-legal-principal-that-managers-and/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [These are the elements of an emerging order that may prove to be as dangerous as any fundamentalism that history has produced. For in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/these-are-the-elements-of-an-emerging-order-that-may-prove-to-be-as/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [Governments can can send inspectors to companies. Governments can put legal requirements in place to disclose information that consumers and workers and other interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/governments-can-can-send-inspectors-to-companies-governments-can-put/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [The whole difficulty I think that that we're facing now is the question of who is going to ensure that corporations are accountable. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-whole-difficulty-i-think-that-that-we-re-facing-now-is-the/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [As the corporation's size and power grew, so did the need to assuage people's fears of it. The corporation suffered its first full-blown legitimacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/as-the-corporation-s-size-and-power-grew-so-did-the-need-to-assuage/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [I think Google's founders are both a couple of guys with some high ideals which have been to some degree reflected in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/i-think-google-s-founders-are-both-a-couple-of-guys-with-some-high/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [As institutional psychopaths, corporations are wont to remove obstacles that get into their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/as-institutional-psychopaths-corporations-are-wont-to-remove/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [Quotes from the Underground is a remarkable resource and must-read for writers, researchers, activists and indeed anyone who embraces progressive values and hopes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/quotes-from-the-underground-is-a-remarkable-resource-and-must-read/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) [Explore all 19 Joel Bakan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) ## More Corporation quotes > [It makes no sense to talk of the social obligations of the corporation without reference to its economic obligations. The two are intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-r-raymond/it-makes-no-sense-to-talk-of-the-social-obligations-of-the/) [Lee R. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-r-raymond/) > [The corporation is not an independent "person" with its own rights, needs, and desires that regulators must respect. It is a state created tool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-is-not-an-independent-person-with-its-own-rights/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [The 'Occupy' movement seems to have found a central theme to its 2012 movement around overturning 'the corporation as a person,' and some legislators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-occupy-movement-seems-to-have-found-a-central-theme-to-its-2012/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“It’s so easy to lose faith and become lost in all of the politics of the world. That’s why we need the arts. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/it-s-so-easy-to-lose-faith-and-become-lost-in-all-of-the-politics-of/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [To equate a corporation with a person is a travesty of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/to-equate-a-corporation-with-a-person-is-a-travesty-of-justice/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Did you ever expect a corporation to have a conscience, when it has no soul to be damned, and nobody to be kicked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-thurlow-1st-baron-thurlow/did-you-ever-expect-a-corporation-to-have-a-conscience-when-it-has-no/) [Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-thurlow-1st-baron-thurlow/) > [“a big corporation will destroy your life, your hopes and your dreams accidentally, without even noticing, and still won’t give a damn afterwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/a-big-corporation-will-destroy-your-life-your-hopes-and-your-dreams/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [A corporation has no soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/a-corporation-has-no-soul/) [Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I used the aspects of being a woman to my advantage, but I worked for myself, not a big corporation, so I was lucky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-used-the-aspects-of-being-a-woman-to-my-advantage-but-i-worked-for/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [I don't think any business has to give up legal protections in order to simplify. The main consideration is that whatever protection, rights and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-siegel/i-don-t-think-any-business-has-to-give-up-legal-protections-in-order/) [Alan Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-siegel/) > [The definition of fascism is The marriage of corporation and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/the-definition-of-fascism-is-the-marriage-of-corporation-and-state/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/for-better-or-for-worse-our-company-the-news-corporation-ltd-is-a/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [I've been working with them for a couple years and a couple of projects. Essentially Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is the chief litigator for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dean-anderson/i-ve-been-working-with-them-for-a-couple-years-and-a-couple-of/) [Richard Dean Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dean-anderson/) > [I've always found a way to make my way, and now I've had the fortune of being hired by a great company - Chrysler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wurzelbacher/i-ve-always-found-a-way-to-make-my-way-and-now-i-ve-had-the-fortune/) [Joe Wurzelbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wurzelbacher/) [Browse all 205 Corporation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The corporation was originally conceived as a public institution whose purpose was to serve national interests and advance the public good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joel Bakan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-was-originally-conceived-as-a-public-institution/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corporation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-was-originally-conceived-as-a-public-institution/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/joel-bakan-28438_corporation_the-corporation-was-originally-conceived_2759041.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The corporation was originally conceived as a public institution whose purpose was to serve national…” — Joel Bakan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joel Bakan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The corporation was originally conceived as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-was-originally-conceived-as-a-public-institution/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-was-originally-conceived-as-a-public-institution/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```