Murray said that the capitalist system nations and firms from necessarily sharing common interests.

"The competition between companies creates a situation where it is highly unlikely that there will be a situation which is good for both the country and the company," Murray said.

Law School speakers rebutted HBS attacks with a broader definition of a company's interest.

HLS students insisted that a company's interest is not defined by the desires of cost-cutting CEOs, but instead by the company's shareholders.

Responding to HBS assertions that Texaco is an example of a company acting against the interest of the country, HLS students said that stockholders and customers have been able to change the major corporation's policy. HBS debaters had cited the Texaco racial-harassment suit as an instance of corporate irresponsibility.

"Once the market was able to get its hands on the situation...Texaco changed its act pretty quickly," said Chris Paolella, a first-year Law School student.

In his keynote address following the debate, Jackson blazed a path down the middle of the two positions.

"Somewhere between the extremes is something called judgment and personal integrity," Jackson said.

Jackson acknowledged that while governments may at times be forced to protect themselves from the pure self-interest of companies, under the right circumstances those same companies can be constructive.

At time Jackson displayed a wit that fit right into a tone set by the aggressive debates teams.

The former presidential candidate prefaced his comments by noting how Harvard policies often prevents speakers from receiving honorariums.

"Speaking of business, what is good for Harvard is not good for the speaker," Jackson said.

As the debate teams were announced at the start of the Ames Courtroom event, the atmosphere seemed like a tennis match as suited onlookers cheered their teams.

And as the dialogue got rolling, the jabs started flowing.

"I have to admit I have a certain amount of initial skepticism about an organization that has the initials B.S. in its name," Paolella said.