One day you run into a friend from college, who is operating a direct mail company which is in the business of gathering and selling names for marketing ventures. Her company has no privacy policy and she does not provide an opportunity for people to “opt-in” or “opt-out” of the marketing lists. You have a database of contacts based on your own sales efforts. She offers you the opportunity to share databases – for each name you submit to her marketing database, you will receive $100. Your database currently has 6,000 names from people who have asked you for information about the product and to whom you have made presentations. Many of the people in the database are your current customers.

Be Reasonable: Explore the Options

Basic Liberties
Choose three options to analyze. You will analyze multiple options to help ensure that you choose a reasonable option to implement.

After brainstorming with the leadership team, you have identified four options:

Sell the current database list without the consent of the customers.

Sell the current database list but only for those customers that have agreed to do so through an “opt-in” marketing consent form.

Sell the current database list but only for those customers who do not submit an “opt-out” marketing consent form.

Do not sell the current database list.

In this step, identify the basic liberties to which each constituent is entitled. Compare the options and discuss which option (assuming a clean process) best meets the basic liberties requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement for the basic liberties as well.

Just Savings

Now -- how well does each option meet the requirements of the just savings principle, assuring that resources are available for next generations. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of the just savings principle as well.

Equal Opportunity for Success

Next, consider how well each option assures that social and economic inequalities are arranged so that all constituents have an equal opportunity for success. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of equal opportunity for success as well.

Reflective Equilibrium

Now, using the tool of reflective equilibrium, which option gives the best advantage to the least advantage without unduly burdening those who are the most advantaged. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not maintain reflective equilibrium as well.

Ecology of Care

Finally, consider whether each option contributes to an ecology of care. Which option best meets the requirement for building a strong community and strong institutions.