ABSTRACT:Arnold and Bowie (2003) attempt to derive ethical constraints on the actions of the managers of multinational enterprises (MNEs), or the MNEs themselves, from a Kantian perspective. We contest Arnold and Bowie's claims regarding MNE duties, in particular that MNEs have a duty to pay a subsistence wage above market levels. We conclude that even within Arnold and Bowie's Kantian framework such a duty does not properly emerge. In addition, we argue that the account of coercion used by Arnold and Bowie does not serve their purposes. Arnold and Bowie address consequentialist issues by arguing that their conclusions are not undercut by economic considerations regarding unemployment. We argue that Arnold and Bowie have misread the economic literature in this regard.

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Abstract:In contrast to “social contract” theories of the corporation, a moral justification of the corporation as actual, not hypothetical, agreement is presented. Central to the justification is the idea of personal projects, as developed by Loren Lomasky. The key idea is the role that corporations can play in the construction and advancement of personal, value-creating projects. The concept of the corporation as actual agreement, as a type of “right of association” theory, is defended against influential criticism of such theories by Thomas Donaldson.

The following is a thought experiment. We believe that it can illustrate some of the strengths and weaknesses of the current body of research called "business ethics". In Section II we give our own response to the thought experiment and the possibilities therein.Consider the following:1. Suppose that a person, L, buys some raw material from a supplier and produces a product, P, that is, L and only L mixes her labor with the raw material to produce P. Suppose further that L will sell this product only to people who agree to the following condition: (RP) I, L, stand responsible for the effects of this product. If it doesn't do what I claim that it does, then I will compensate you for your trouble, as determined by an independent third party. I stand O RCI D

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