Social responsibility as an object or entity has existed for a very long time (Sheldon, 1923). Broadly speaking, social responsibility can be defined as the obligations of or expectations on an entity (organization or individual) to act to benefit society at large. This responsibility can be passive by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts or active by performing activities that directly advance social goals. More importantly, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has attracted much academic attention in the past decades as the worlds economic globalization evolves and the values of sustainability have been widely accepted. Studies such as the CSR pyramid model (Carroll, 1991), social interest theory (Schochet, 1979), stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984; Viveros, 2017), corporate citizenship (Matten and Crane, 2005), and business ethics (De George, 2006) have all contributed to the evolution of CSR. CITATION:Chen, C, Li, Z and Li, J, 2019. Dynamics of corporate social responsibility: a theoretical perspective, in Proceedings 9th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Minerals Industry, pp 2935 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).