Corporations, Persons and the Natural Law: A Response to Professor McLeod

Anchoring Truths (November 23, 2021)

U Iowa Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2022-08

10 Pages Posted: 8 Dec 2021 Last revised: 8 Mar 2022

See all articles by Robert T. Miller

Robert T. Miller

University of Iowa College of Law; Classical Liberal Institute, New York University Law School

Date Written: November 23, 2021

Abstract

This short piece responds to an article by Professor McLeod and argues that, even under strong natural law assumptions about the natural rights of human beings to form associations, there is no reason to think that corporations, churches or other associations of individuals are real persons in any ontological or metaphysical sense. Anything we want to say about the rights and obligations of associations under the natural law is fully explainable in terms of the rights and obligations of the individual human beings who compose such associations.

Keywords: Corporations, legal persons, personhood, legal personhood, churches, natural law, associations, right to associate, right to association

JEL Classification: K20

Suggested Citation

Miller, Robert T., Corporations, Persons and the Natural Law: A Response to Professor McLeod (November 23, 2021). Anchoring Truths (November 23, 2021), U Iowa Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2022-08, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3971735 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3971735

Robert T. Miller (Contact Author)

University of Iowa College of Law ( email )

Melrose and Byington
Iowa City, IA 52242
United States
(319) 335-9034 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://law.uiowa.edu/people/robert-t-miller

Classical Liberal Institute, New York University Law School ( email )

40 Washington Square South
Individual, NY 10012-1099
United States
13193359001 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.classicalliberalinstitute.org/

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