Business Ethics - Kantian Principles

The Johnson Controls Case

In the Johnson Controls Case , the company absolutely reacted in a way that was morally responsible with respect to the lives of the unborn children . Without attempting to delve into an argument regarding the viability ' of a fetus , suffice it to say that the company acted on the logically assumed presumption that the unborn child would be born and following that logic , the company knowing that its products are particularly harmful to unborn children , the company made the decision to protect the lives and well-being of those unborn

children by banning pregnant women from working on the production line . This decision was made based on protecting the dignity of human life , that of the unborn children , and was done so in a way that was universal - the lives and well-being of all unborn children should be protected , and therefore the company was behaving in a way that they would wish to see universalized The company also behaved autonomously , acting on their own moral judgments and values and disregarding the possible legal repercussions By these standards , according to Kantian principles and the argument for respect for persons , the company 's decision was made regarding the utmost moral authority - that of maintaining respect for human life and dignity and treating humans as an end , and not as a means to an end - and is therefore morally justifiable

A possible counterargument , and likely the very same argument the company faced in the ensuing lawsuits that followed the decision , is that to ban a pregnant woman from productive labor is discriminatory and therefore morally wrong . The after-effects of a woman forced into unemployment as a result of her pregnancy may then mean that she is not able to care for the unborn child both pre- and post-natally , due to a lack of sufficient income to offer the same level of health care nutrition , and adequate shelter and clothing (not to mention the many different kinds of specific items that infant children require that can be very costly . Therefore , according to this thought , the company did not act in a way that was entirely morally responsible in regards to the lives of the unborn children

According to Kantian principles , the situation of discrimination outlined here is not a valid argument . And while it is true that it may be morally wrong to discriminate against another human being - or treating that person as a means and not as an end - the greater issue here is the protecting of human life , which in turn nullifies any argument of discriminatory practices because the very root of the discrimination itself is the preservation of life . While it is certainly true that the women left unemployed may have suffered financially , what we also do not know is how they were compensated at the time of their lay-offs and to what extent the company offered them assistance . Even that aside , there are a number of different assistance programs available for pregnant women without sufficient income to seek...