this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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And in my scenario the person who owns and controls the wages isn't taking the stance of paying the lowest wage the market will bear.
Let's push this a little further though. Let's say the company paying $100/hour is ethical by your definition. And by your definition the comoany paying $200/hour cannot be.
I would argue the second is still the more ethical company, especially when you consider the community it's within. There would be more resources for more people.
Sure, if you want to imagine an impossibility. The reality of the matter is that those who control and own the Means of production will always act in their own self-interest, the "good men of history" idea is Utopian, and still anti-democratic.
Your argument is akin to saying if a Dictator is really nice, even if there's no democracy, it's fully ethical. The lack of ability to contest even a benevolent dictator means the foundation giving the dictator power is itself unethical, even if the way the dictator treats his subjects is ethical.
I fully believe a benevolent dictator has more capacity to be ethical than even the strongest democracy.
And it's ridiculous to argue otherwise.
In reductive terms, there is ultimately the best decision. The thing that is the best. Humans, by definition, have varying capacity, and varying experience. I can say, unequivocally, that younger me was an idiot. And the decisions I make now are much better than the decisions I made when I was younger.
In a democracy you're optimizing for the most acceptance of outcome. People of varying capacities and varying world views will argue their opinions, and results will be the closest to the middle ground that most people can live with.
So yes. If you're maximizing for ethics a single person can do that.
See, I can't agree with anything you say if you believe ends justify all means. It's pure Utopianism, and therefore can't be considered meaningful.
I guess I'm not following your thesis then. Can you say, simply, what you believe ethics are. And why democracies are inherently more ethical
Hierarchy without democratic consent and exploitation are both unethical. Simple as.
What about something like the Salem witch trials.
Everyone agreed they were witches.
There is no such thing as a witch
Democratic actions aren't ethical by themselves. If the Salem witch trials were dictatorlially held by 1 dude, is your argument that it is somehow more ethical?
An action must be democratically accountable and ethical, you need both to actually be ethical.
Are you legitimately anti-democracy?