Metit
In our society we value hard work and the benefits that we are due. In the paper “Merit: Why do we value it?” written by Louis Pojman, he argues that we deserve what we earn. Others argue that we should not benefit from our success because we are predisposed via birth right, intelligence or our social standing. In my understanding of Pojams view, I agree that “Every action in the universe has a fitting response” (pg. 96). “Evil deeds must be followed by evil out comes and good deeds by good outcomes” (pg. 96). In this paper, I will elaborate on situations where this is fitting. This paper will discuss where I am repulsed by the lack of justice when people are rewarded in circumstances when they should not be.
Merit is any feature or quality that is the basis for distributing positive attribution such as praise, rewards, and prizes. I believe people should be rewarded or punished based on their merits. Someone that works harder and trains harder deserves the better position. For example, an intern at a law firm, who has spent countless hours on studying and shaping their abilities to perform their duties at the top of their game, deserves to get the job over the boss’ daughter. Say the boss’ daughter spends very little time studying and even less around the office. She has the notion that the job will be hers simply because she is the daughter of the boss. Pojman stated, “I deserve to win the race because I have trained harder than anyone else. You deserve praise for your kind act because it was a product of a morally good will. The man or women who works hard at a socially useful job deserves more in terms of salary than the person who loafs or works half-heartedly” (pg. 87). Pojman continues on in his paper to explain how rewarding good work encourages further good work.
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