Seeing human: How attributing minds to businesses and corporations influences our moral judgments of them

What is "human"? While many of us think it is easy to identify, the line between human and non-human is murkier than you think. Think of debates about when human life starts, the times we ask Siri or Claude for emotional support, and how we form social bonds with our toys (or brands). Shared among discussions of what is human, however, is whether we perceive a mind in the target. In this talk, I will focus on one particular non-human entity that we have, whether consciously or subconsciously, been treating like humans for more than 150 years: the organization. I will talk about the two pathways through which we attribute minds to (and thus humanize) organizations. I will also discuss the consequences of ascribing minds to organizations: our condemnation of organizations after corporate wrongdoing, our empathy for them when they suffer misfortune, and legal rights we feel they deserve. Both humans and non-humans welcome.