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briandmyers  ·  3649 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: An interesting question

Take the issue to its extreme - suppose you are wealthy, and the society you live in is very poor. You can pay people next to nothing, and they will work themselves to death for that pittance (to try to keep their family alive, perhaps). You can afford to pay a living wage, but you don't have to, because there are people who will take what you offer. Is it ethical in this situation, to pay only what the market will bear?

Isn't this why we have a minimum wage? Because we as a society say that you shouldn't be allowed to take advantage of others, even though you could without coercion?