KANT'S GOOD WILL THEORY

Kant's Good Will Theory

Kant's Good Will Theory

Q- Kant states that a good will is the only supreme principle of morality. Do you agree with Kant or disagree?

Ans. Yes I agree, because the principle of morality must begin with each individual striving for his or her good will and therefore they may construct their objective considerations within their actions. Kant states “I ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law”. Immanuel Kant holds this idea as the fundamental principle of all morality and one must understand that the content in moral requirements is universal (Johnson, 2008).

This ultimate principle is believed to give humans a starting point on where their duties and objectives derive. The word “imperative” creates a focal point on the importance of definite morals. Kant believed that humans must focus on each of their actions as being completely necessary in order to strive for the categorical imperative. According to Stanford's Encyclopedia of Philsophy, “categorical imperative is the law of an autonomous will…offering decisive grounds for viewing each [individual] as possessed of equal worth and deserving of equal respect.”(Johnson, 2008)

Kant has an appropriate justification or standard of morality if humans were the ideal beings. The primary requirement Kant needs is to have rational thinking beings. Our world does not have pure, rational thinking people and therefore it is difficult to examine Kant's standard of morality as a possible, feasible typical way of thinking for all. People would have to be capable, willing and interested in making the effort to act based on reason and also retain a firm understanding of what Kant considered universal law. Our society is what some would refer to as “lazy” or “unwilling to change” therefore Kant's ultimate principle of morality is seen as out of reach for the modern people. According to “Pew Center for the People and the Press report”, it is much easier to gather information and form our opinions on what we hear or view on television and the radio.

In 2006, on an average day 81% of Americans access news. More than two thirds of those Americans get their news from the television, 51% of Americans (Frontline, 2007). In comparison to half of our culture partaking in the current events, 63% of Americans watch “non-news TV”. Our society is down 10% from 2004 ...