Utilitarianism posits that moral actions are judged based on the happiness they produce, while Kantian ethics asserts that rational beings must be treated as ends, not means.
For utilitarians, assessing the morality of slavery requires evaluating the overall happiness and unhappiness it generates, usually leading to the conclusion that slavery is impermissible.
Kant's deontological ethics categorizes rational beings as ends in themselves, positioning non-rational beings as mere objects, which fundamentally contrasts with utilitarian views on moral status.
The utilitarian perspective shows that slavery generates significant unhappiness and moral damage by reducing enslaved individuals to mere objects of property, undermining their humanity.
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