Kantian Ethics Essay

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Pages: 4

Kantian Ethics The last ethical theory we will use to analyze issues in gender inequality is Kantian ethics. The central concept of Kantian ethics is the “categorical imperative,” which can be formulated in two ways: (1) If you think the action you are about to take cannot be universalized into a rule for everyone in the same situation as you are in, then don’t do it. (2) Each human being should be treated as ends in themselves and never as means.
According to Kantian ethics, a business that allows unequal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is unethical because it treats women as a means to lower costs and in turn, more profits. Here is another way to see how the gender wage gap violates the categorical imperative: If
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Following the guideline of Kant in his categorical imperative, women should be treated with respect and given equal opportunity and flexibility in the workplace as men; it’s their fundamental human right. If men in businesses want the best for their female loved one, they should “act according to the maxim by which you can at the same time rule it should become a universal law”. This imperative requires businesses to give equal respect to women and accommodate for any difficulties they have due to motherly duties, and not take them as mentally and physically not suited for a job. A society does not exist without women, they are mothers of all the rich men in businesses and therefore deserve …show more content…
First, businesses and policy makers need to recognize that the wage gap is a problem, and should start by carefully examining the way male and female workers are paid. Should a business find that it is paying its female employees less than it is paying its male employees for work of equal value, it should address the problem immediately. Second, businesses need to rely more on objective information and less on biases in their decisions related to human resources. One way to do this is by using nameless resumes to make hiring