Paternalism and corporate responsibility

This paper begins with the important philosophical distinction that has been made between strong and weak paternalism. It argues that strong paternalism and the "narrow" view of corporate social responsibility are incompatible. It argues (contra Crossley (1999), this journal) that the "wide" view of corporate social responsibility does not require that corporations act in a paternalistic manner. More interestingly, it argues that the "narrow" view presupposes the acceptance of a weak paternalism.