Under deontology the most important consideration when determining the morality of any case is evaluation the real or anticipated duties of principles that apply and determining if actors are conforming their behavior to these duties or principles (O’Brien). Deontology would think that Apple is unethical. Under deontology falls legal system, Kant’s categorical imperative, and the natural law, divine command, relational/ responsibility, human dignity & intrinsic value. Though most of these can relate to the case, Kant and human dignity are the ones to go more in depth with. Kant focuses on the coherency of Apple and that they make good decisions for the right reasons. Kant’s categorical believed that you must do the right thing, for the right reason, not for your self-interest(O’Brien). With Kant’s theory it is clear to see that Apple's ways of producing goods are unethical because they are using Foxconn’s factories, where the laborers are being paid very low wages and work illegal overtime. According to Kant, a business needs to do good for its customers and employees and have the right intent behind their …show more content…
In this case we are questioning if Apple and Foxconn are treating all their employees correctly. Human dignity is the belief that people have value in and of themselves, while things/ objects have value for the sake of something/ someone else (O’Brien). Human dignity would believe that Apple was unethical. Human beings have moral value simply by were human and not because of any purpose.
“As a person, man is therefore the subject of work. As a person he works, he performs various actions belonging to the work process; independently of their objective content, these actions must all serve top realize humanity, to fulfill the calling to be a person that is his by reason of his very humanity” (p.39).
Any human would understand that having kids work, or creating conditions that make you want to kill yourself aren’t morally right. Any human would also understand that giving low wages to these people when they work extreme hours every week is unfair. Not only is this a concept that explains dignity, it is in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Apple and Foxconn failed to comply with the Fair Labor Association agreement (p. 257). In October 2012, Foxconn was caught using minors in its factories, which was breaking the law. That is an issue of civil law and violation of human