Fair salary according to aristotle: limitations and opportunities

Purpose: This text explores philosophical and economic debates on fair wages, drawing on the Aristotelian principle of distributive justice. The text examines the challenges inherent in applying this principle in practice and explores potential pathways to address and overcome these challenges effectively. The reason for choosing this topic is the practical significance of fair pay and the gap in the current scientific literature on distributive justice. Design/methodology/approach: This investigation is a conceptual analysis of economic theories about fair salaries. Findings: The study demonstrates that the Aristotelian principle of distributive justice is either explicitly or implicitly assumed in economics, including theories that expressly deny the doctrine of distributive justice. Research limitations/implications: This research does not embrace empirical investigations and mathematical methods. Yet, it provides directions and methodologies for further theoretical and empirical research on quantitative perspectives on the impact of normative beliefs on economic and managerial decisions regarding salaries. Further studies can go into a detailed discussion of case studies to incorporate the study's findings into various situational factors. Practical implications: The article demonstrates the potential application of the Aristotelian concept of distributive justice in setting salaries. Social implications: The presented analyses may encourage both management theorists and practitioners to adopt a balanced perspective on remuneration issues—one that avoids extremes, from accommodating unfounded entitlement attitudes to ignoring fundamental employee rights. Such an approach should also contribute to a balanced shift in social perception. Originality/value: The study presents a novel perspective on the Aristotelian principle of distributive justice, demonstrating its compatibility with diverse economic theories, including those that explicitly reject the principle. The text is addressed to theorists and decision-makers involved in matters of remuneration. Keywords: distributive justice, paid work, salary, labour meta-ethics, meta-economics. Category of the paper: General review or research paper.