Following this idea, people must be treated with respect and not as a means to an end. This goes against the nature of sweatshops which have a certain implication of treating people only as a means to make profit and without certain dignities or respect. Furthermore, the lack of such respectful treatment and dignity is in direct contradiction to the ideas Kant outlays; "Thus morality, and humanity insofar as it is capable of morality, alone have dignity" (Arnold & Bowie, 610). Kant also has a clear opinion on the coercion that takes place in sweatshops stating that it is again treating people as a means to an end and without dignity. By coercing someone, you are manipulating them – making them a mean – to do as you wish – the end. Furthermore, by doing so, you are fundamentally violating their dignity as a person and moral being. Lastly, Kant has something to say about the scandalously low wages that workers are paid. By not providing a livable wage for employees we again, as repetitive as it may seem, are violating their basic fundamental dignities and their ability to grow and develop as a moral rational being. By not giving them these wages, many companies are also breaking the law and treating people as objects to do so. .
As a human being and also the CEO of a major corporation that runs sweatshops, I feel there is a moral obligation to raise wages to livable rate. First, I often view myself as a utilitarian which implies that we have a moral obligation to "choose that act from among your options which is best from the twins points of view of increasing human happiness and reducing human suffering" (Audi, 12). By raising the wages of so many sweatshop workers, we are clearly increasing human happiness and reducing suffering by giving workers a livable wage that allows them to provide for themselves and family. Furthermore, the reduction of profits does not necessarily reduce happiness on the spectrum of the company; they could see it as goodwill, in addition, the happiness of giving many a wage that they can live off of far outweighs some unhappy feelings towards a small profit reduction.