As in Rawls, if we imagined that we did not know who we are or where we stand in society – whether we are rich or poor, male or female, young or old, CEO or shop-floor worker – our decisions would be more ethically grounded. The veil of ignorance changes the nature of the discussion on almost every issue, from executive pay, wage discrepancies, and working conditions to long-term strategy, succession planning, and much more.
董事和高管要做出明智决策，就不能仅仅考虑他们能否直接获利。罗尔斯指出，想象我们不知道身处社会何处的情形——不知道我们是贫是富、是男是女、是老是少、是CEO还是车间工人——这样能使偶们的决定更加合乎伦理。无知之幕改变了几乎每一个问题的讨论性质，从高管薪酬、工资差异、工作环境到长期战略、接班人计划等莫不如此。