Firms and their Responsibility towards Nature

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility is increasingly discussed in economics and management studies today. Corporate leaders often make use of this concept, which finds its origins in philosophy, to analyse the normative behaviour of their companies. But what exactly is corporate responsibility? Is it a mere concept currently in vogue, or is it a new structural approach which could indeed take responsibility into account insofar as long-term environmental preservation is concerned? In order to answer this question, this study first proposes a reading of "stakeholders". This approach poses several problems when dealing with corporate responsibility regarding the preservation of nature. Secondly, it presents a more detailed analysis of such corporate social responsibility and the problems it poses. The debate regarding action with the interest of its outcome and action in the interest of the action itself is the focal point of present discussion.