Before the implementation of child labor laws, some companies provided positive working conditions for their young employees. Society banned child labor not because it was inconceivable for children to work in decent environments, but due to the corrupting nature of granting immense power to businesses over vulnerable individuals. This imbalance of power can lead to exploitation and unethical treatment.

Jonathan Safran Foer, in his book "Eating Animals," highlights a similar moral dilemma regarding our treatment of animals. He argues that when society believes it has a greater right to exploit animals than those animals have to live free from suffering, it reflects a corrupt mindset. This points to broader ethical questions about power dynamics and moral responsibility, whether concerning children in the workforce or animals in agriculture.