Download This PaperA Corporate Law Rationale for Reparations
52 Pages Posted: 21 May 2020 Last revised: 29 Mar 2021
Date Written: 2020
Abstract
Should the United States pay reparations to African Americans? A majority of Americans object that they are not personally responsible for slavery or Jim Crow. The objection is rooted in the principle of ethical individualism, which holds that people can be blamed only for their own actions.
This Article contends that the ethical individualism objection to reparations is misplaced because it assumes that what matters is the culpability of each citizen. We argue that, like a corporation, the United States is a legal person. Consequently, seeking reparations from the United States does not turn on the guilt of its citizens any more than prosecuting a corporation turns on the guilt of its shareholders.
We further contend that corporate law contains resources for evaluating reparations on the merits. In particular, while we assume that legal claims against the United States are not justifiable, we use the Department of Justice’s corporate charging guidelines to develop a moral case for paying reparations.
Keywords: Reparations, Corporate Law, Ethical Individualism, Legal Personhood
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