Question

1. Discuss labor issues (wages, workplace conditions, etc.) with reference to Kant’s claim that morality requires always treating humanity as an end and never as a means only.

Answer 1

Almost all the companies try to maximize their profit by reducing the wages, provide minimum working conditions and extracting more work than they are supposed to do etc. This would mean that companies would use their employees to gain more profit thus, would use them as a means to achieve their selfish goals. They wouldn’t think of people as ends in themselves in order to improve their wages or working conditions, thus it would be unethical for the companies to use the employees as means to gain more profit. When they take an action to improve their life, it would be because of law would require them to do that and they wouldn't do it out of concern.

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