In this paper I intend to create an analogy between the workplace and society in general, so that principles used in determining political and social systems of ethics in the social sphere might be applied to the work place. I will specifically focus in on John Rawls's theory of justice as fairness, as it is explained in his book A Theory of Justice. The reason I have chosen this theory is because of its popularity, inherent quality, and applicability to the workplace setting. It is also a moderately recent work which takes into account many modern social and political concerns. This theory I then apply to three important workplace issues: for the benefit of employees, freedom of speech and employee privacy, and for the benefit of employers, productivity.
[...] According to Rawls, a good way to come to a consensus on workplace ethics and rights is to approach them from behind a veil of ignorance. As it applies to society, a veil of ignorance assumes that the parties do not know certain kinds of particular facts. First of all, no one knows his place in society, his class position or social status; nor does he know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence and strength, and the like. [...]
[...] Veil of Ignorance The extension of the academic study of ethics and human rights into the workplace is a necessary one. While most academic study seems to exist in the abstract realm of rational moral principles (Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals providing an ideal example of this abstract ethical philosophizing), even that which does extend more or less into practice and common institutions gets applied to the realm of law and politics. This is curious, considering that our jobs as employees or employers probably affect us in day-to-day situations more often than the functioning of the law or complex moral dilemmas which abstract ethical philosophy seeks to provide solutions for. [...]
[...] This gives hope to the philosopher of workplace ethics, as he or she is aware that many of the other inequalities of life have been removed or combated by civilizing political thought and ethical theory. As nature gave way to a functioning, civilized, and effective political machine as a means of making decisions and amplifying happiness across great numbers of people, so too might the right set of workplace ethics improve the unequal relationship between employer and employee. At this point, after noting the natural inequality of societies including the workplace, it seems worthwhile to consider John Rawls magnificent formulation of justice as fairness, especially with consideration to the veil of ignorance. [...]
[...] As different workplaces have different layouts, so too might they require bring about different conclusions when decided from behind the veil of ignorance. However, it is safe to assume some general conclusion in regards to workplace ethics on top of those already implicit because, as Rowan writes, the moral importance of being a person is a function of having goals and interest, then we may postulate certain basic rights which all persons, simply by virtue of their being persons, can be said to possess” (91). [...]
[...] This system essentially resembles an oligarchy in that the decisions that are made are carried out by the group on the principle of absolute authority that need not account or explain the reasoning behind one's actions. Authority is founded not in reason or popularity, but in executive appointment. Now, the aim of this paper is not a Marxist critique of capitalist economics and corporate structure: though the above description may to the reader make it seem like the workplace sound tyrannical and unjust on some level akin to slavery, this is extrapolation based on the connotations which certain words have developed (for example, oligarchy is ‘bad', because it is not democracy, which is ‘good'). [...]
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