General Studies Mains-2014 Paper-4 (Ethics and Integrity) Answer : Q-3-b

“Human beings should always be treated as ‘ends’ in themselves and never as merely ‘means’.” Explain the meaning and significance of this statement, giving its implications in the modern techno-economic society. (150 words)

The philosopher, Immanuel Kant, said that rational human beings should be treated as an end in themselves and not as a means to something else. Each and every human being has inherent value, and need not serve as a means to achieve something else. The betterment and well-being of humanity is the goal, and not the means to something else. The statement pushes us to stay away from looking at humans from a strictly utilitarian perspective.

In today’s information age, the intimate details of humans are freely available and traded without consent. Such trade looks at humans, and information pertaining to them, as means to achieve the end of monetary gains. Therefore, the statement especially applies in the modern techno-economic world where exploitation of humans is taken for granted.