This begs the questions: can one talk about corporations as if they were people? Certainly it offers an interesting metaphor, so let’s play along with it.

ACCEPTING BAKAN’S diagnosis of the corporation as a psychopath, we find the attitudes and behaviour of corporations correlate with the criteria Dr. Robert Hare – who is quoted in Bakan’s book – and many others would use to identify an anti-social personality disorder.

The following symptoms are applicable: “… irresponsible…manipulates others… grandiose…lack of empathy… asocial tendencies…refusal to accept responsibility for their own actions… unable to feel remorse… relates to others superficially…” Individuals who fit this diagnosis generally do not think there is much wrong with them, nor do they typically seek therapy. They will usually only do so if they are obliged (by law), or think they may be able to manipulate a situation by doing so. If they do enter therapy, they are notoriously difficult to work with.