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On the Relevance of Political Philosophy to Business Ethics
Get PDFThe central problems of political philosophy (e.g., legitimate authority, distributive justice) mirror the central problems of business ethics. The question naturally arises: should political theories be applied to problems in business ethics? If a version of egalitarianism is the correct theory of justice for states, for example, does it follow that it is the correct theory of justice for businesses? If states should be democratically governed by their citizens, should businesses be democratically managed by their employees? Most theorists who have considered these questions, including John Rawls in Political Liberalism, and Robert Phillips and Joshua Margolis in a 1999 article, have said “no.” They claim that states and businesses are different kinds of entities, and hence require different theories of justice. I challenge this claim. While businesses differ from states, the difference is one of degree, not one of kind. Business ethics has much to learn from political philosophy
The Epistemological Argument Against Desert
Get PDFMost contemporary political philosophers deny that justice requires giving people what they deserve. According to a familiar anti-desert argument, the influence of genes and environment on people\u27s actions and traits undermines all desert-claims. According to a less familiar – but more plausible – argument, the influence of genes and environment on people\u27s actions and traits undermines some desert-claims (or all desert-claims to an extent). But, it says, we do not know which ones (or to what extent). This article examines this ‘epistemological’ argument against desert. It gives reason to believe that it fails, emphasizing the importance of justice relative to efficiency and attempting to construct a practical way of measuring desert
Do CEOs Get Paid Too Much?
Get PDFIn 2003, CEOs of the 365 largest U.S. corporations were paid on average $8 million, 301 times as much as factory workers. This paper asks whether CEOs get paid too much. Appealing to widely recognized moral values, I distinguish three views of justice in wages: the agreement view, the desert view, and the utility view. I argue that, no matter which view is correct, CEOs get paid too much. I conclude by offering two ways CEO pay might be reduced
Against the Asymmetry of Desert
Get PDFThe concept of desert has traditionally played a central role in theories of both distributive and retributive justice. But while desert continues to play a central role in most contemporary theories of retributive justice, it plays little or no role in most contemporary theories of distributive justice. This asymmetric treatment of desert is prima facie strange. If people should have the punishment they deserve, shouldn’t they also have the social benefits they deserve? I first offer an intuitive argument against the asymmetry, then consider and reject four potential justifications of it. I do not claim that the asymmetry cannot be justified—it is possible that a new argument for it will be found. But the justifications I consider are the most plausible available. These considerations should make us highly skeptical of the asymmetry, and lead us to re-examine our views about both distributive and retributive justice
Desert and Distributive Justice in A Theory of Justice
Get PDFThis paper proceeds as follows. First, I present the standard interpretation of Rawls’s account of desert. I then show how this interpretation is inadequate, bringing to light certain subtleties of the account that give it entirely new meaning. Next, I examine the criticisms of Nozick and Sher and show how, due to misconceptions of Rawls’s account of desert, they fail. Finally, I offer a criticism of Rawls’s theory of justice based on the correct interpretation of his account of desert
Group Multi-Media Presentations in the ‘Sociology of Language and Ethnicity’
No full textThis paper describes an innovative type of group class presentation which I have developed for a course called \ The Sociology of Language and Ethnicity.\ The purpose of this assignment is to present material in a range of modalities (e.g., visual, auditory, oral) so that students with a variety of learning styles and cultural backgrounds can gain from the experience. Groups of 5-8 students collectively create a multimedia presentation on the three most important themes in one of the four books read by the class. The assignment is deliberately open-ended and is designed so that students can work cooperatively and work in a range of learning styles and media. I describe several creative ways that students in my classes completed the assignment
The Sociology of Language and Ethnicity
No full textThis paper describes a course first developed in 1987 which explored sociolinguistic , interactional, and cultural research findings relating to a range of ethnic groups in the United States
The Problematics of Representation in Community Mediation Hearings: Implications for Mediation Practice
Get PDFEmpowering disputants to represent themselves and create their own agreement is a frequently cited goal of community mediation programs. This paper explores how disputants\u27 positions and interests are represented in mediation, and investigates the implications of such representation for the negotiation process. This narrative analysis of transcripts of videotaped community mediation hearings shows that disputant self-representation in mediation is never unconstrained. The interactional organization of mediation and the actions of mediators work to limit and define how disputants formulate their utterances. Mediator representation of disputants varies in the degree of intervention or coercion applied. Mediators may limit themselves to rephrasing, restating, or elaborating a disputant\u27s position. However, in some cases mediators take the place of disputants in negotiations. The implications of these various types of representation for disputant autonomy, mediator neutrality and agreement compliance are discussed
Bentley College Commencement program, 1982
Get PDFCommencement programs provide details of the Commencement ceremony, announce speakers and awards, and list graduates.https://scholars.bentley.edu/arch_commencement/1058/thumbnail.jp
Bentley College Commencement program, 1981
Get PDFCommencement programs provide details of the Commencement ceremony, announce speakers and awards, and list graduates.https://scholars.bentley.edu/arch_commencement/1056/thumbnail.jp