> Businesses exist in as much as they are the primary determinant of most people's lives. They shape our cities, our media, laws, politics, foreign policy and have a huge impact in just about everything else that matters.
By this standard, ancient religious figures (now mostly regarded as mythological) exist. Thor, or Zeus (if anyone is a pagan here, I don’t mean any disrespect to your beliefs, but let’s think about whichever one you don’t believe in).
> Real or not, it has _real_ impacts all around us.
Sure. But people were much more devoted to these figures than any business! Religious wars were fought, people lived and died for these gods. But some of these figures still were imaginary. Being imaginary doesn’t mean they aren’t important. But it means they don’t have interests. In reality, these organizations (religions, businesses) have members, users, and leaders/owners, and the business is an abstract representation of those people.
That’s why it doesn’t make sense to ask whether “the business,” which exists entirely as an abstraction for some of their interests, ought to be prioritized above or below them.
By this standard, ancient religious figures (now mostly regarded as mythological) exist. Thor, or Zeus (if anyone is a pagan here, I don’t mean any disrespect to your beliefs, but let’s think about whichever one you don’t believe in).
> Real or not, it has _real_ impacts all around us.
Sure. But people were much more devoted to these figures than any business! Religious wars were fought, people lived and died for these gods. But some of these figures still were imaginary. Being imaginary doesn’t mean they aren’t important. But it means they don’t have interests. In reality, these organizations (religions, businesses) have members, users, and leaders/owners, and the business is an abstract representation of those people.
That’s why it doesn’t make sense to ask whether “the business,” which exists entirely as an abstraction for some of their interests, ought to be prioritized above or below them.