Which statement best reflects Kantian ethical standards regarding people?

• A. The ends and means are valued the same.
• B. Sources and receivers communicate for their mutual benefit.
• C. Sources and receivers treat each other as ends in themselves, never as a means.
• D. All actors follow the same law.

Answer: (C)

In Kantian ethics, each person has intrinsic worth as a rational being and must be treated with respect for their own goals and autonomy. This means you should never use someone merely as a tool to achieve your own ends; you ought to act in a way that treats others as ends in themselves. The statement that captures this idea says that sources and receivers treat each other as ends in themselves, never as a means. It embodies the idea that actions should respect the other person’s dignity and autonomy, not instrumentalize them for personal gain.

The other ideas don’t fit as well because they shift the emphasis away from respecting persons as ends in themselves. Treating ends and means as the same would undermine the intrinsic worth of persons. Focusing on mutual benefit in communication centers on practical advantage rather than moral treatment of individuals. And insisting that everyone follows the same law is about universal rules in general, not specifically about respecting the dignity of individuals in how we relate to them.