Moral theory practical aim definition how to#

A dutiful will is thus a special case of a good will that becomes visible in adverse conditions. A will that acts from duty is distinguishable as a will that overcomes hindrances in order to keep the moral law. įor Kant, a good will is a broader conception than a will that acts from duty. Kant regarded the good will as a single moral principle that freely chooses to use the other virtues for moral ends. The good will is unique in that it is always good and maintains its moral value even when it fails to achieve its moral intentions. No other virtue has this status because every other virtue can be used to achieve immoral ends (for example, the virtue of loyalty is not good if one is loyal to an evil person). Kant began his ethical theory by arguing that the only virtue that can be unqualifiedly good is a good will. In his combined works, Kant constructed the basis for an ethical law by the concept of duty.

Moral theory practical aim definition how to#

He did not attempt to prescribe specific action, but instructed that reason should be used to determine how to behave. As part of the Enlightenment tradition, Kant based his ethical theory on the belief that reason should be used to determine how people ought to act. The tremendous influence of Kant's moral thought is evident both in the breadth of appropriations and criticisms it has inspired and in the many real world contexts in which it has found application.Īlthough all of Kant's work develops his ethical theory, it is most clearly defined in Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Critique of Practical Reason, and Metaphysics of Morals. The formulation of autonomy concludes that rational agents are bound to the moral law by their own will, while Kant's concept of the Kingdom of Ends requires that people act as if the principles of their actions establish a law for a hypothetical kingdom. Kant's formulation of humanity, the second formulation of the categorical imperative, states that as an end in itself, humans are required never to treat others merely as a means to an end, but always as ends in themselves. His principle of universalizability requires that, for an action to be permissible, it must be possible to apply it to all people without a contradiction occurring.

Kant formulated the categorical imperative in various ways. It states that an action can only be moral if (i) it is motivated by a sense of duty and (ii) its maxim may be rationally willed a universal, objective law.Ĭentral to Kant's theory of the moral law is the categorical imperative. Kantian ethics refers to a deontological ethical theory developed by German philosopher Immanuel Kant that is based on the notion that: 'It is impossible to think of anything at all in the world, or indeed even beyond it, that could be considered good without limitation except a good will.' The theory was developed in the context of Enlightenment rationalism.