Friedman was right on about some of the reasons against such charitable
activities. Businesses are or should be driven by the profit motive whereas
this is not the aim of non-profit organisations. Business skills are those
which can generate profit and are different from the skills required in a
non-profit organisation. Of course Milton also thought that it was
inappropriate to spend shareholder money for purposes that did not directly
relate to the business of making a profit. He noted though that one could
hardly blame businesses for spending money on charity when they got tax
breaks for doing so. He objected to these tax breaks as well.
With his support for income contingent repayment schemes for loans and
his criticism of business support for universities maybe Uncle Miltie will
be seen as having lots of interest for lefties just as Hayek in some
circles..":) It is interesting that Friedman's classical views of the social
responsibility of business i.e. that it is to make profits primarily implies
that business does not have a responsibility for charitable donations
whereas the supposedly more progressive stakeholder theory would lead to the
opposite conclusion.
Cheers, Ken Hanly
----- Original Message -----
From: Lisa & Ian Murray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 5:07 PM
Subject: [PEN-L:8679] RE: Re: Re: farewell to academe
> Barkley:
>
>
> > I understand, however, that there is some kind of
> > different atmosphere on campus. Some of it is just a more
> > blatant careerism, although that has always been there.
> > Some of it is a more blatant kowtowing to external business
> > donors, exemplified by the new trend to naming buildings
> > after them (when was the last time you saw an academic
> > building named after a great thinker or historical figure?).
> > Some of it reflects the ongoing expansion of mindless
> > administrative bureaucracies.
> *********
>
> "One topic in the area of social responsibility that I feel duty bound to
touch
> on, because it affects my own personal interests, has been the claim that
> business should contribute to the support of charitable activities and
> especially to universities. Such giving by corporations is an
inappropriate use
> of corporate funds in a free-enterprise society." [M. Friedman, C&F, p.
135]
>
> Ian
>
