Whitney Basson’s Millions

Time for you to think a little again. In the crossroads assignment one of the multiple choice questions was: “In 2010, Whitey Basson the CEO of Shoprite earned ZAR 620,000,000.00.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by: A. Who cares?

B. Good for him – he worked hard to earn this
C. The only problem I have with this is that this money is in Basson’s bank account and not in mine D. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money E. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral executive remuneration practices

Step 1: Evaluate the act using Kant’s categorical imperative (We’ve done the first 2 steps for you) 1. State your proposed act as a maxim:

“I will take ZAR 620 000 000.00 (A) when I’ve done a year’s work (C) in order to get really, really rich (E).”

I will take that R620 000 000.00, at least take ¼ of that money for myself, the remaining ¾ of the money, I would open a sponsor fund in my own private capacity to assist people from underprivileged families, starting with the staff employed in my company by educating them and their family members, assisting those who have innovative and viable ideas which might put my country on the map, to start their own small businesses with a view that I can earn a certain share percentage in those small businesses, which will bring me more money and at the same time do good for my fellow human beings in order to alleviate poverty as it is morally wrong to earn such a lot of money while people who are employed in the same company at lower ranks are struggling to make ends meet.

2. Restate this maxim as a universal law;

“All people (7 billion of them) will take ZAR 620 000 000.00 when they’ve done a year’s work in order to get really, really rich.”

All people who earn exorbitant amounts of money should be involved in community services with the primary aim of assisting in alleviating poverty and uplifting the youth to reach their full potential.

3. Ask whether your maxim is conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law; and finally

Unfortunately

4. Ask whether you would rationally act on your maxim in such a world.

Step 2: Form an opinion
On the basis of your analysis, answer the following questions: What would Kant probably have said about Whitey Basson (or you) earning ZAR 620,000,000.00? (You might want to do a bit of research into the nature of Whitey Basson’s 2010 earnings). What do you think about Whitey Basson (or you) earning ZAR 620,000,000.00? Why do you think this?

We also encourage you to look at whatever your fellow students have written and comment on this. Step 3: Submit a comment for marking

(Note: you must log into myUnisa to do this. You cannot do it on the Digi-Band) Now you need to go to the “Assignment 02: Rules is Rules” topic in the “Assign 02: Rules is Rules” discussion stream and submit your analysis of the act of taking ZAR 620,000,000.00 and your answers to the three questions as a comment.

Step 1: Evaluate the act using Kant’s categorical imperative. 1. State your proposed act as a maxim:

“I will take ZAR 620 000 000.00 (A) when I’ve done a year’s work (C) in order to get really, really rich (E).”

2. Restate this maxim as a universal law;

“All people (7 billion of them) will take ZAR 620 000 000.00 when they’ve done a year’s work in order to get really, really rich.”

3. Ask whether your maxim is conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law: It is highly inconceivable and immoral for one person to earn that much money from a personal point of view as well as the universal law. 4. Ask whether you would rationally act on your maxim in such a world. As people, we are never satisfied with what we have, no matter how much you earn you will always want more but it depends on the principles of the person as well as their humility.

Personally, if I had to earn that much, I would assist in the development of the community starting with the staff. I would open a sponsor fund in my own private capacity to assist people from underprivileged families, starting with the staff employed in the company I run, by educating them and their family members, assisting those who have innovative and viable ideas to start their own small businesses with a view that I can earn a certain share percentage in those small businesses, which will bring me more money and at the same time do good for my fellow human beings in order to alleviate poverty. It is morally wrong to earn such a lot of money while people who are employed in the same company at lower ranks are struggling to make ends meet.

Step 2: Form an opinion
On the basis of your analysis, answer the following questions: What would Kant probably have said about Whitey Bassoon (or you) earning ZAR 620,000,000.00? (You might want to do a bit of research into the nature of Whitey Basson’s 2010 earnings). I think that Kant wouldn’t have approved of this earning as this is what he totally goes against. Yes Basson did a great job by growing Shoprite into the biggest and top earning company that it is today, and Christo Weise felt that he deserved it undoubtedly because of his running the company with an iron fist and never leaving things to chance and getting involved in every aspect of the company but he surely did not do it alone, he needed people he employed who were also outstanding in their respectable fields of expertise to assist and share ideas and give him advice.

Besides they had known each other for long, which might be one of the motivating factors for that but regardless, there is so much that can be done with that money to change other people’s situations. What do you think about Whitey Basson (or you) earning ZAR 620,000,000.00? Who wouldn’t want to earn that much, its every person’s dream to earn such big money due to your hard work but, it doesn’t go down well with me, no matter how they justify it. Why do you think this?

Because of all the poverty that is going on in this country and him having all resources to make a difference. Yes he worked hard to achieve what he has achieved but it is highly inconceivable and immoral for one person to earn that much money, no matter how hard they have worked as there are people who assisted in getting the results that he has achieved. It definitely was not a one man show, yes he brought along his intellectual property (ideas), but there were other people who assisted in implementing those ideas and making sure that the end results were favourable for the company’s growth. Everyone in the company had a hand in the growth of the company, instead of giving the person such as exorbitant amount; it should have been shared amongst the workers and their development.

References
http://www.leader.co.za/article.aspx?s=1&f=1&a=1222