This paper provides an historical analysis and contemporary evaluation of the debate around and practice of corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) in Argentina. It identifies key trends that have characterised the evolution of ideas about the role of business in society in Argentina and provides explanations for those trends based on a reading of the political, economic and social context in which they took place. The economic crisis in 2001–2002 marked a particularly significant turning point, prompting debates about the role of business in poverty alleviation, but contemporary discussions reflect and embody a much longer history of negotiating the appropriate role of business in society. The analysis is disaggregated by sector and size of firm to allow for an examination of which firms in which sectors have embraced ideas of CSER most fully. The role of the state, civil society and the extent of globalisation of key firms and sectors in the Argentine economy will be highlighted in accounting for the degree of embeddedness of CSER in past and current corporate practice in Argentina. The paper ends with reflections about whether the key trends in CSER in Argentina are externally driven or increasingly reflect domestic priorities and developmental agendas.