Imagine that a recent college graduate, Gus, is at a party and discovers that another guest, Bonnie, is in charge of hiring for a local company. Which of the following best explains what Kant would think of Gus being nice to Bonnie throughout the rest of the evening? A. Gus’s doing so might give him an unethical advantage in future hiring.
B. Bonnie’s allowing of the interaction signals that Gus’s actions are appropriate.
C. Gus and Bonnie are acting autonomously, so all is ethically fine.
D. If Gus is doing so in order to get a job, he is treating Bonnie merely as a means to an end and is thus wrong.