Corporations should be treated as the legal equivalent of persons

Corporations should be treated as the legal equivalent of persons
Subjects
Capitalism	Corporations
Government	Law
Linking arguments
Governments should grant limited liability to shareholders in corporations

Note: This is the central argument behind the debate on corporate personhood.

Supporting arguments

Individual persons have rights, both when they are acting alone and when they work together, regardless of the format in which they collaborate. Therefore, corporations should have all the same rights that its investors have.

This point applies only in the United States. Without corporate personhood, it would not be possible for people to sue corporations when they have harmed people. This would result in negative outcomes for society.  Related argument: Corporations must be treated as the legal equivalent of persons in order to be sued in court.

This point applies only in the United States. If corporations are not treated as the legal equivalent of persons, it will be impossible to sign contracts with them. They will not have the legal existence necessary to agree to contracts.  Related argument: Corporations must be treated as the legal equivalent of persons in order to be able to agree to contracts.

Opposing arguments

Corporations were created, by governments, to grant limited liability to shareholders and to streamline the legal process by allowing corporations to be sued in court, rather than suing each individual investor. Corporations were never intended to be treated as the legal equivalent of persons in all matters. They are created by governments and can be regulated in ways that would not be appropriate to regulate individuals.  Related argument: Governments should grant limited liability to shareholders in corporations.