The Good Will

The right motive is “to do the right thing”, “to do one’s duty”, “to respect the moral law.” A rational being who consistently has the right motive has what Kant calls a Good Will. Nothing is more important for morality than having a good will. According to Kant, a rational being with a Good Will automatically does its duty. Why? Read on.

Why Consequentialism is Wrong

First consider what would motivate you if you had a Good Will. You’d do your duty simply because it’s your duty. You wouldn’t expect a reward. You wouldn’t expect to make yourself happy or give yourself pleasure. You’d want to do your duty simply because it’s your duty. In other words, all consequences — any pleasure or happiness that might result (or any pain and misery that might be avoided) — are irrelevant. Duty is what makes you good; it’s not what makes you (or anyone else) happy. It’s not what satisfies natural inclinations to attain pleasure or happiness.......

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Title: Ethics
Approximate Word Count: 1273
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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