I am looking at a copy of European Legal History, Robinson, Fergus, Gordon, Oxford 2000, 3rd ed. Section New Trends in Law 1814-1914, discusses "17.2 - organiza

I am looking at a copy of European Legal History, Robinson, Fergus, Gordon, Oxford 2000, 3rd ed. Section New Trends in Law 1814-1914, discusses "17.2 - organization of business" and provides some answers. - Corporations "prior to 19th century" were 'privileges' granted by a sovereign, not 'rights'. East-India among others is an example. (17.2.6) - "The joint stock company is an incorporated body, a legal person in its own right, distinct from its shareholders and directors. This eases the path of those having commercial dealing with it ..." (17.2.5) goes on to enumerate how corporation as a legal person suites the modern economic regime. So basically, corporations are legal persons because of Capitalism. (My op.) - ps which is imo not a bad thing, actually. This is a classic case of a legacy decision/design in a system made at a time when there were more limited knowledge and information. And task is how to unravel the error without taking down the whole system. What we want is a legal scope around the person-hood of a corporation that allows for good (if not optimal) economic regime (in general, possibly including ethical dimensions), and yet does not distort the distinction between human beings -- and we have Natural Rights that are conferred by none other than the Goddess/God/Big Daddy/The Architect/"Fundamental-Laws", take your pick /g and can not be taken away by any legal mechanism -- and corporations don't, because we are a first order side effect of the Universe and these things are just organizations.