The Democratic Imperative in Everyone’s Business (Ron & Singer, 2024): From Negative to Positive Corporate Obligations
Journal
Journal of Business Ethics
Type
book review
Date Issued
2026-05-16
Author(s)
Abstract
In Everyone’s Business, Ron and Singer (2024) develop a political account of business ethics that assigns normative priority to democracy. They argue that firms owe democratic societies a “concern for democracy,” which they largely interpret as duties of restraint aimed at avoiding corruption and undue influence over democratic procedures. This short review reconstructs the central reasons underlying this predominantly negative account and proposes a limited extension within their framework. It argues that, under strict conditions, a concern for democracy may also entail positive obligations oriented toward sustaining the procedural and epistemic conditions of democratic agency, particularly in light of the scale and reach of corporate power.
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Division(s)