Re: Ethical Investment Gone Wild

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 21:08:09 MDT

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    On Mon, 21 Jul 2003, Mark Walker wrote:

    > One of the ethical issues that this might raise is whether it would be
    > permissible to discriminate on the basis of an angelic rating. Would it be
    > ok to hire on the basis of the candidate's angelic rating?

    The problem is that it is too easy to "bias" the rating -- I can be "good"
    for a decade with the intent of getting a high "angelic" rating and then coast
    on it.

    So one has the problem that one selects based on high ratings that are
    in reality fraudulent. If you know of a system that can't be "milked"
    please show it to me.

    > Would it be ok
    > for universities to set admission criteria in terms of an angelic rating?
    > I'm inclined to think that this shouldn't be a problem.

    For the first few years (when "natural" behaviors) were in effect yes.
    But as soon as people figured out how to milk the system the "ratings"
    would be of questionable value.

    It is interesting -- such an approach might produce group (tribe) supportive
    behaviors (above the average level) for a limited period of time -- that might
    be of net benefit to society for some period -- but one has to wonder about
    whether there might be a net downside once the cat is out of the bag.
    (e.g. "You mean you manipulated me into being a better person than I
    would otherwise naturally be -- how could you do that?")

    R.



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