Free Is There Such A Thing As An Absolute Right Or Wrong Essay Example

The name of the topic could entail a philosophical discussion: the absolute (from Latin – absolūtus which means "loosened from" or "unattached) is understood as “the concept of an unconditional reality which transcends limited, conditional, everyday existence.” (“Absolute (Philosophy)”, Wikipedia.org). For example, certain right and freedoms of an individual are recognized by constitutions of states as “absolute”, i.e. unconditional and realizable at the sole discretion of an individual (such as freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment). On the other hand, most constitutions recognize that reasonable limits may be placed on all right, such as to secure due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others. Thus, “absolute” rights could not be absolute in nature, as long as a person’s rights are always limited by the boundaries of another person’s freedoms.
Despite the fact that the rights of companies are not foreseen in the constitution, their status in relation to other entities is reasonably similar to that of an individual. On one hand, the ultimate goal (and thus the main right) of companies is maximizing profits, and their management tries their best to constantly strive for accumulating wealth. On the other hand, the activity of companies is restricted by the rule of law and by internal corporate governance rules. Such rules are aimed at regulating the companies’ operations in order to prevent negative impacts on other active members of the society (companies, organizations and individuals, including socially unprotected people), as well as the environment, and generally – to prevent chaos.
Interestingly, nowadays the society puts more attention to the methods of conducting business by the companies, their ethical standards, social responsibility and corporate behavior. These issues can even influence the decision of consumers whether to buy or not to buy certain products. For example, consumers may not be willing to buy goods from a company which is reportedly engaged in bribery on a large-scale, uses child labor, pollutes the environment or whose management is charged with criminal offences. At least, such instances would considerably reduce the level of trust of the society in such company, and be highly detrimental to the company’s reputation and general image. Even the mere appearance of impropriety can have a negative effect on a corporations bottom line.
In certain groups of companies which are very concerned about their reputation in the market and the value of its brand, the internal corporate governance rules and compliance standards are even higher than the legislative requirements. For instance, the companies in their internal policies may provide for higher level of social security package or benefits for their employees, adopt a better refund policy for its consumers or allocate funds to help an orphanage. “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws”, “it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” – these sayings by Plato and Benjamin Franklin, respectively, though used in different epochs and different places, are still as timely and sage as when they were uttered and reflect how corporations often carefully make their way around social and legal pitfalls on their way to enrichment in the contemporary world.