Final answer:
The foundational corporate social responsibility upon which all others rest is Economic Responsibility. It is essential for a company to be financially sound to engage in other responsible practices, and conflicts can arise when balancing economic goals with ethical considerations, particularly with new technologies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of corporate social responsibility that is the foundation on which all other types of responsibilities rest upon is Economic Responsibility. Economic responsibility is fundamental because a company must be financially viable to engage in practices concerning environmental sustainability, ethical behavior, and philanthropy. Milton Friedman famously argued that the primary responsibility of a business is to increase its profits, emphasizing the importance of economic health for a company's stakeholders, which include shareholders and employees among others.
Conflicts between economic and ethical responsibilities sometimes arise, such as when cost-saving measures result in poor working conditions or environmental damage, highlighting the difficulty of establishing ethical practices in business, especially with regard to emerging technologies. Companies must balance fulfilling their economic responsibilities with adhering to ethical standards, which can be a challenging task in the face of new and unregulated technologies. Ethical considerations must be integrated alongside legal, economic, and scientific aspects when addressing large-scale problems such as those posed by new technological developments.