Moral Reasoning: Human Trafficking

Introduction
Human trafficking is defined as “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them” (UNODC, 2015). However, as with any definition or label, there is a subjective interpretation that exists alongside the objective viewpoint. While in most cases of trafficking, the human being involved can easily be depicted as a victim, in some cases the of trafficking the “victim” wants to be trafficked as it provides an opportunity for the individual to have a better life even if it is outside the normal or accepted means of society (Beatson & Hanley, 2017; Brock& Teixeira, 2014). Included in these cases can be situations of labor trafficking and sex trafficking. The point is that not every person feels the same about human trafficking or that it is necessarily immoral in every case. As there are numerous ethical perspectives from which one can examine the issue of human trafficking, there are different ways in which the morality of trafficking can be evaluated. This paper will apply deontological, utilitarian, virtue ethics and ethical egoism frameworks to compare and contrast moral approaches to human trafficking and show why trafficking is not a black and white issue that can be condemned across the board.
The Debate
Human trafficking is an issue that De Shalit, Heynen and Van der Meulen (2014) say has been politicized as a phenomenon meant to show that governments are addressing a moral evil that exists in the world—when in reality the governments are merely deflecting attention from their own crimes and virtue signaling to the populace. For instance, De Shalit et al. (2014) argue that the debate surrounding sex trafficking is corrupted by political influence and political paradigms adopted by non-government organizations (NGOs) that frame the problem within the perspective of emotional appeals to justice even though the reality of the sex worker industry is different from the way many governments and the NGOs that align with the governments’ positions frame the issue.
It is important to consider how the issue of human trafficking is framed by media, governments, and organizations because this framing is what leads to moral acceptance or moral condemnation. De Shalit et al. (2014) describe the issue as important because the debate is what leads to organizations receiving funding, laws being passed and public opinion being shaped. If information from the government and from NGOs is inaccurate the view of people in communities will be based on falsehoods and deceptions used for political purposes. A truly moral approach to the issue of human trafficking depends not upon sensationalized messaging but rather upon the experiences of those involved in the processes. The findings of De Shalit et al. (2014) indicate that the perspective of communities is being warped when it comes to sex work and that this is due to political reasons from governments, which are more interested in concealing their own crimes against the public than in actually promoting ethical policies. Thus, the belief of activists in the labor side of the political issue of human trafficking is that sex workers have a right to dignity in their work.
Others, however, who argue that human trafficking is on the rise and that women are being sold into sex slavery see the sex work industry as fatal to human rights movements. They see sex work as a modern day sex slavery industry that the government apparently wants to support. The researchers point out that there is almost no empirical evidence to support that claim that human sex slavery is as bad or proliferate as the opponents say it is (Brock & Teixeira, 2014).
Lam and Lepp (2019) argue that human trafficking especially in the sex industry is something that should be understood and accepted rather than condemned and driven underground. The reason for their argument is that they see it is an opportunity for women and for laborers to engage in work that is acceptable to them even if it is not acceptable to others. They point to Butterfly, which is unique among anti-human trafficking organizations because rather than focus on prohibitive approaches it offers support and is a support network to sex workers in Toronto and other cities throughout Canada. The organization was founded in 2014 as the Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network. The thesis of the researchers is that this type of support network for sex workers does more good than prohibitive organizations, which drive sex workers underground as their handlers seek to avoid detection. The researchers conclude that by allowing a supportive group like Butterfly to take part in the discourse of sex trafficking, a better platform can be erected in which the entire industry is reconsidered.
Ethical Perspectives
Deontology
The perspective of deontology ethics is that one’s moral responsibility is related to one’s duty (Holmes, 2007). If one is doing one’s duty, then one is acting morally. Considering the issue of human trafficking from the perspective of those who enter into the work—either sex work or labor—one can apply the deontological framework to justify the process. A person who of his or her own free will allows him or herself to be trafficked for sex or labor purposes may be doing so because he or she has no better way to provide for him or herself or for their families. The person feels a moral duty to enter into this kind of work because of the need to provide for self or loved ones. From this point of view, it becomes difficult to condemn human trafficking ipso facto. It is also the argument of Lam andd Lepp (2019) who indicate that many sex workers are in the industry because they view it as an opportunity—not because they are held there against their will.
However, in those cases where individuals are trafficked against their will it is clearly a violation of the greater good in which every person’s free will has to be respected and defended. Individuals who are stolen and trafficked without consent should be defended from the perspective of deontology and the moral duty of society and law enforcement becomes protecting the person who is trafficked.
The complexity of the issue can be seen in that it is difficult to determine which workers in the sex or labor industries are trafficked against their will and which allow themselves to be trafficked because they consent to it (even if they are being exploited, they still believe it is better for them). Thus the deontological approach to his issue is limited in terms of providing an applicable solution to how one should address it morally speaking.
Utilitarianism
The concept of utilitarianism is that the moral action is that which produces the greatest common good (Holmes, 2007). But again the application of this framework runs into the same problems as that of deontology, for it is impossible to judge what the greatest common good is for so many different stakeholders with respect to this issue. There are governments, traffickers, the trafficked, those served by the industry, and members of society. Each will have a different conception of the good, which is why the problem of subjectivity ultimately undermines the utility of utilitarianism. Thus, this ethical framework is inadequate to address the issue as well.
Virtue Ethics
The concept of virtue ethics is that the moral action is that which helps one to develop one’s character to the fullest (Holmes, 2007). How this applies to the issue of human trafficking will again depend upon one’s subjective view of character development and what constitutes a good character. Thus, its application is limited by the very nature of the terms of society’s acceptance of subjective moral philosophy.
Ethical Egoism
Ethical egoism is the idea that morality is completely subjective and can best be determined by applying an ends-justify-the-means approach to action (Holmes, 2007). If the ends are good or beneficial for a person, then the action must be moral. In today’s world, it is ethical egoism that can best applied to the issue of human trafficking—whether one is looking for a way to justify it or to condemn it. Government representatives may seek to condemn it because doing so diverts attention from their own inefficiencies and offenses. Organizations seeking to help sex or labor workers who are trafficked may seek to justify trafficking and to provide legal support for the trafficked because they see the work as helpful to those people who are in it. Thus, ethical egoism provides the most appropriate ethical perspective on this issue for explaining all the various approaches that stakeholders take to it.
Conclusion
Though the virtue ethics framework is commonly promoted in the West as being the framework for moral action, the reality of today’s world is that ethical egoism reigns supreme. For that reason, the problem of human trafficking will remain a problem as all the different stakeholders have their own takes on it and their own reasons to condemn or approve it. Unless there is a return to a universal ethical framework and acceptance of a universal moral law, the issue is unlikely to be resolved.
References
Beatson, J., & Hanley, J. (2017). The intersection of exploitation and coercion in cases of Canadian labour trafficking. Journal of law and social policy, 26, 137.
Brock, D., & Teixeira, R. (2014). Beyond exploitation and trafficking: Canadian critical perspectives on sex work. Labour: Journal of Canadian Labour Studies/Le Travail: revue d’Études Ouvrières Canadiennes, 74.
De Shalit, A., Heynen, R., & van der Meulen, E. (2014). Human trafficking and media myths: Federal funding, communication strategies, and Canadian anti-trafficking programs. Canadian Journal of Communication, 39(3).
Holmes, A. (2007). Ethics: Approaching moral decisions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Lam, E., & Lepp, A. (2019). Butterfly: Resisting the harms of anti-trafficking policies and fostering peer-based organising in Canada. Anti-trafficking review, (12), 91-107.
UNODC. (2015). UNODC on human trafficking and migrant smuggling. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/