Child labor has been seen as a significant global concern affecting the well-being of many children in the world. It is commonly found in underdeveloped countries where basic requirements and civil rights are not protected by law. According to the UN, poverty is the most compelling reason for driving child labor. Due to the ugly nature of inequitable growth within the countries, all of these children are deprived of their childhood and potential, they do not have the chance to seek education and were forced to work. From the perspective of the morality issues of child labor, in accordance with the principles of Kantian and utilitarian ethics, there are many arguments within these theories.
For Kant’s rule, the principle of universalizability states that child labor is morally wrong as it is not aligned with the basic human rights of children around the world, and has been shown to affect the development of children, likely leading to lifelong physical or psychological harm. Many fall victims to unfair work conditions, and they do not have the power to resist abuse. Children are the major influences of the country; they are encouraged to succeed and should be granted the ability to pursue education in order to build up their social development with peers, not to benefit many at the cost of oneself. Nevertheless, if the intent were to improve the quality of life, in comparison to the conditions of the past, then this can be justified. For Kant’s rule, the principle of humanity states that you do not treat humans as a means to an end. In other words, it meant that is not right to use people to obtain what you desire. Children at their appropriate age should experience being children and not be used as a tool for exploiting economic resources to advance the interests of others.
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Act utilitarianism, on the other hand, considers everyone equal and agrees that child labor is morally right because it provides a means of livelihood for poor families; thus, it brings pleasure and enjoyment to the majority. Therefore, if these people are struggling to make ends meet, it is unethical to discourage them from doing so. In accepting child labor, we are making the most of the benefits for the greatest majority of people. As a result of the income earned, the family remains stable, while employers gain cheap labor to stay competitive. Child labor does provide a sense of happiness and unity for the families of the children involved; however, the amount of joy gained by making the children work is very minimal than being able to ascertain and enjoy the simple joys of childhood. Thus, the happiness of the majority that brings child labor cannot be used as a piece of evidence for its continuity.
In my perception, child labor is morally wrong than right, as it has a detrimental impact on children's lives in every way, but extreme poverty persists around the world. Sometimes, work offers a way of life for poor families as education is deemed a premium to them. Work also creates an opportunity to move the poor person on a better trajectory than the choice of not working. On other hand, as a developed nation, we believe that young people should invest in education to do work that requires education. But to many underdeveloped counties in the world, work is often the best preparation for them. Thus, work is just as important as education. Education without implementation is a drain on society.
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