MGT 6010 The Ethical & Legal Environment of Business

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Egalitarian Theory

Egalitarian Theory (relationship based)

A well-ordered society is one which has institutions that enable individuals with conflicting ends to interact in a mutually beneficial way.  A just or morally upright person is one who always does what is morally right and obeys the law; justice consists of taking only a proper share of some good. An unjust person is, thus, a grasping person who takes too much wealth, honor, or other benefit that society offers, or a shirker who refuses to bear a fair share of some burden.

How do we know how to treat individuals equally?  We make the decision standing behind a "veil of ignorance."   Ask yourself:

If I didn't know anything about myself (e.g., my talents, intelligence, and skills) and I had to devise, for example, a compensation plan for employees, what criteria would I use?

Most likely, according to the Egalitarian, I'd want a corporate environment that rewarded everyone equally just to ensure that I was rewarded!

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Egalitarianism