Ethics of Child Labor Essay

Ethics of shaver Labor I. Intro A. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century sister exertion was a r vitamin Aant problem with the advancements in technology. Then during the middle twentieth century, the United States started implementing small fry labor laws such as riding horse an age limit for somebody to work for pay and alike compass certain health and safety codes at the work place. Despite efforts to nix child labor, it is still prevalent in some beas in the orbit today. Most of these children work on small farms.II. Is Child Labor the right way(a) or vituperate? A. Pros i. Hu art object Rights Watch says that child farm workers in the United States- the vast majority of whom atomic number 18 Latino- regularly work 12 to 14 hour days, often worthless pesticide poisonings, heat-related illness, machine and knife-related injuries, and life- great disabilities. Many are forced to work without access to toilet or hand-washing facilities or commensurate dr inking water. (Cray 4) i. Helps get a struggling family financially ii.Child labor has a place in the world economy as bulky as it is neither hazardous or dead- quit work, where the child laborers stub still get an education and thereby help their families out of poverty since an education leave behind ensure better paying jobs in the eagle-eyed run. iii. Work alongside their parents is both(prenominal) a financial necessity, and as well as straggle of the ethnic family work moral principle. B. Cons i. Illnesses, injury, lifelong disabilities. ii. The associative qualities of child labor is it produces a negative image of the associated company, country, family that enforces it.iii. Emotional injury is put on that child for life III. Jeremy Bentham A. honorable System including the influence of Theology 1. Moral Aspects of knowingness i. Finitude-capacity of transcendence which gives humans the ability to imagine their own end(Schaffer 66). ii. rawness-Comes from a sens e of transcendence- we are able to imagine states which we toilette neer quite achieve. This is rough the individual(Schaffer 66). 2. Beliefs about Right and Wrong i. hedonic calculasAccording to this doctrine, the way to judge between alternative courses of action is to distri moreovere the consequences of all(prenominal), in terms of the cheer and pain of all the mountain alter(Mills 281) 3. Definition of beloved i. Utilitarianism presupposes superstar overriding moral principle that integrity ought to aim at the greatest happiness of the greatest number. (Mills 280) ii. Bentham thought what was uncorrupted was whatsoever gave the just about amount of pleasure to the most amount of people iii. Subjective opening of Value-How I feel, non a matter of right or wrong, knowledge not infallible.(Schaffer 73) 4. Obligations i. If the central mis fully grown of political ism is taken to be Why, if at all, should the citizen obey the state? The utilitarian make out is q uite clear. The citizen should obey just so far as fealty ill contribute more to the world(a) happiness than disobedience. If the central question is taken to be the nature and ontological status of the state, the answer is equally clear the state is not a super-entity with purposes and a will of its own, but a human contrivance to enable men to realize as more of their desires as possible.(Mills 281) ii. Explanation Bentham thinks it is the obligations of the state to provide the people elementary pleasures and if the state is doing that thusly the people should comply with some of the states demands and if that is not the discipline then the people dont have listen to the state. 5. Ideals and Virtues i. It is as the exponent of utilitarianism and as the acknowledged leader of the philosophical radicals, whose program of fond reform was firmly based on utilitarian theory, that Bentham is chiefly remembered.He thought of the principle of public utility company as primarily a manoeuvre for legislators. Thought it he hoped to impart some order into chaos and illogicalness of the law(Mills 281) ii. Perhaps the crucial question for a utilitarian ethic intended mainly for lawyers and legislators is whether it elicit account adequately for justices. It may be argued that justice requires the equalization as well as the maximization of pleasures. It is not unjust to require me to endure five units of pain on Monday for the interest group of ten units of pleasure on Tuesday.But is it just to require smith to endure five units of pain for the sake of ten units of pleasure for Jones? It is enigmatic whether Bentham can meet this objection. He does, however argue that the maximization of pleasure will itself involve an equalizing tendency. This is because the economists law of diminishing utility applies to pleasure. The minor amenities of life afford much pleasure to individual whose other pleasures are few, but comparatively little to someone whose ple asures are many.Consequently, while it is true that a utilitarian, forced to choose between a course of action that gives X and Y 10 units of pleasure each and one that gives X 31 units of pleasure and Y 10 units of pain, will prefer the second, it is also true that such choices are most promising to arise when Xs life is as a general rue more painful than Ys(Mills 283) iii. Sincerity-free from pretense or deceit, proceeding from genuine feelings (Oxford American Dictionaries) iv. Tranquility-quality or state of being staticcalmnesspeacefulnessquiet relaxation(Dictionary.com) 6. Culpability/ impression i. In Benthams perceptiveness, our conviction that it is unjust to punish an innocent man is based on nothing but the empirical consideration that punishing the innocent is not likely to deter others from crime. This is, however, not always true the innocent man may be a hostage, or he may be generally thought to be guilty. (Mills 283-284) ii. Consenquencea conclusion derived by means of logic, something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a nail down of conditions. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) B.How Bentham would address Child Labor i. If Bentham were assessing the issue of child Labor he would probably take into account the pleasure and pain involving the children and the employers. From the employers point of view their getting workers working for lower pay and also more skill of certain tasks rather than adults. From the children point of view, Bentham would see that it would be a reinforcement for a struggling family for their children to work to help put food on the table also it could help inspire a stronger work ethic for the children.Then when calculating the pain knobbed, that would be attributed to possible injuries and diseases the child capability get and also the trauma inflicted upon the child and family. Bentham would also recognize the pique of other countries around the world that condemn child labor as a legal practic e. Using hedonic calculus, Bentham would determine if this right or wrong and taking account of all the pleasure and pain involved he would probably come with the conclusion that Child Labor is wrong. IV. Aristotle A. ethical system including the influence of theology 1. Moral aspect of awareness i. Unfinished- pursuit the Other half-we have to move to discover otherness through poetry, literature, movies, etc complicated desire to be in relation/community Philosophical & Religious Understandings-in complete (dream) Aristotle, long for innocence Augustine(Schaffer 66). ii. Explanation Aristotle thought that to reach out a higher level of being we must engage ourselves in the field of arts to reach the other half of our self 2. Beliefs about right or wrong i.Aristotle believed good was something that brought you happiness or fulfills your desires. ii. Aristotle also believed if you dont overly indulge yourself in your desires then it would be considered ethical but if you indul ge in excess then it would be unethical 3. Ideals and Virtues i. TempranceThe Greek philosopher Socrates considered continence to be almost synonymous with self-mastery. The cold-temperate person, he argued, is the one who exercises control over his or her desires and thereby escapes supremacy by them. Aristotle took a similar view, holding self-indulgence to be childish.For these philosophers, and for many of the ethicists that followed them, the hallmarks of temperance are moderation and restraint of ones desires and passions. (Ruggiero 112) ii. watchfulness This right known also as practical wisdom, consists of choosing ones behaviour judiciously by consulting experience and deliberating thoughtfully about what rejoinder is most appropriate. Prudence is the exact opposite of rashness and impulsiveness. (Ruggiero 111-112) 4. Definition of Good i. Subjective theory of Value How I feel =not a matter of right or wrong knowledge not needed(Schaffer 73) ii.Aristotle thought what ever was good was whatever fulfilled your desires or make you happy 5. Obligations i. Obligations of friendly relationshipFriendship entails common respect and a fussy interest in the others well being. It requires one to experience at the others achiever and good fortune and to parcel out the pain of the others chagrin and failure. It also requires on to be trust-worthy about confidences, to provide emotional bridge over when it is needed, and to restrain the urge to be critical in small matters. (Ruggiero 100) ii.Obligations of friendshipCitizenship obligates a person to erect the well-being of the country and fellow citizens by respecting and observing the law and respecting the permit initiatives of the countrys leaders, even if one disagrees with their political perspective. In a democracy, it also requires participation in the electoral process. When the country is unjustly attacked, it is also a citizens responsibility, conscience permitting, to support the countrys result and even, if one is young and healthy enough, to trick an active role in the countrys defense. (Ruggiero 100) 6. Culpability/Consequence i. Consenquencea conclusion derived through logic, something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) B. How Aristotle would approach Child Labor i. Aristotle would approach Child from a subjective theory of value and determine if it was right or wrong depending on the situation. For example if the family of the child is in desperate for money then he would consider it ethical for child to work. But if the child is suffering from the work then Aristotle would then consider it unethical.VI. My ethical system A. Ethical System Including the Influence of Theology 1. Moral Aspect of Awareness i. Incompleteness Comes from a sense of transcendence-we are able t imagine states which we can never quite achieve. We have a desire to have a complete awareness of our incompleteness (Schaffer 66). ii. Unfinished-Seeking the Other half-we have to drive to discover otherness through poetry, literature, movies, etc profound desire to be in relation/community Philosophical & Religious Understandings-in complete (dream) Aristotle, long for innocence Augustine(Schaffer 66). 2. 3.Beliefs about right and wrong i. Believe you should do whatever gives you most amount of satisfaction and security. 4. Definition of Good i. Subjective Theory of Value Subjective theory of Value How I feel =not a matter of right or 5. Ideals and Virtues i. i. Justice-Evaluation of situations according to their merits, without prejudice, and giving each person his or her due(Ruggiero 102) ii. tranquility quality or state of being tranquilcalmnesspeacefulnessquietserenity iii. TempranceThe Greek philosopher Socrates considered temperance to be almost synonymous with self-mastery.The temperate person, he argued, is the one who exercises control over his or her desires and thereby escapes domination by them. Aristotle took a similar view, holding self-indulgence to be childish. For these philosophers, and for many of the ethicists that followed them, the hallmarks of temperance are moderation and restraint of ones desires and passions. (Ruggiero 112) iv. Prudence This virtue known also as practical wisdom, consists of choosing ones behavior judiciously by consulting experience and deliberating thoughtfully about what response is most appropriate.Prudence is the exact opposite of rashness and impulsiveness. (Ruggiero 111-112) 6. Obligations i. Obligations of friendshipFriendship entails mutual respect and a special interest in the others well being. It requires one to rejoice at the others success and good fortune and to share the pain of the others disappointment and failure. It also requires on to be trust-worthy about confidences, to provide emotional support when it is needed, and to restrain the urge to be critical in small matters. (Ruggiero 100) ii.Obligations of friendshipC itizenship obligates a person to promote the well-being of the country and fellow citizens by respecting and observing the law and respecting the legitimate initiatives of the countrys leaders, even if one disagrees with their political perspective. In a democracy, it also requires participation in the electoral process. When the country is unjustly attacked, it is also a citizens responsibility, conscience permitting, to support the countrys response and even, if one is young and healthy enough, to play an active role in the countrys defense. (Ruggiero 100) 7.Culpability/Consequence ii. i. Consenquencea conclusion derived through logic, something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) 8. Ethical influences i. Parents My parents have instilled a strong ethical foundation for life. Since I was little kid, they have taught the brilliance of kindness and honesty. ii. Coaches I have played sports my entire life and it has b een a major influence in shaping my character. Sports have helped keep me make grow and how to stay cool under pressure, and not letting my emotions control my actions.9. My customs i. Natural Law-(def) the view that there is an unchanging normative order that is a part of the natural world(Schaffer 83) ii. One way to provide criteria of judgment on major issues, examine natural law (in relation to overlord law) and human law to show the way in which they complement each other. (Schaffer 83) iii. Orders of Creation- (def) a hierarchy is given in creation which reveals obligation, responsibility and maintain criteria for morality (Schaffer 84) B. How I would address Child Labor i.I believe child labor is an unethical practice. It puts way too emotional distress and also physical injuries to be justified. The only positive I can see coming from child labor is the money that child would play in. Conclusion A. Child labor is not as pressing as an issue as it used to be but still adept around some parts in the world. I believe Bentham and Aristotle would both disapprove of child labor based on their idea that the sanctioned goal in life is too find happiness and fit your desires which labor does not serve.