Question

Is it exploitation for a company to profit from selling soaps, shampoo, personal computers, and ice cream, and so on, to people with little disposable income?

Answer 1

In the current setting of consumerism it is not exploitation for a company to profit from selling soaps, shampoo, personal computers, and ice cream, and so on, to people with little disposable income. This is because companies are set up with a profit-maximizing model and carry out their operations with the same principle to ensure that it is sustainable. Hence we cannot completely blame companies. Moreover, there is a wide choice set for each of the goods from ice creams to computers which are offered by different brands at different prices. Hence there is always a cheap alternative which is affordable enough because of competition among the lower priced market.

However, the pricing on certain essential goods should always be in a manner that the poor can consume them. Additionally the data -driven and AI models mean that big companies continue to shape our choices and mould the market to meet their forecasts. Amidst all this labor exploitation and other unethical means are being practiced to facilitate produciton. Hence it is essential to focus on these inhumane practices than final price of the products.