Analyzing Kant's 'Intrinsic Worth Of A Person'

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Having previously read the preface and examining the notes provided on Kant, I thought coming into this section the reading would be slightly easier to understand. However, as per usual for his writing, I was able to understand some of it but again got lost towards the middle and easily by the end. Since I was able to understand fairly easily the first part of the section, I found it quite interesting when he states, “Moderation in emotions and passions, self-control, and calm deliberation are not only good in many respects but even seem to constitute part of the intrinsic worth of a person” (Kant, 7). Based on this quote alone, I have various questions. When Kant states that it constitutes part of the intrinsic worth, exactly how much is he referring to? Also, if a person is extremely passionate and emotional about what they are doing, such as teaching or debating on a topic, would that lead to a …show more content…

Previously, I have encountered many people who are extremely passionate and emotional, yet are able to maintain self-control and calmly deliberate. Two of my favorite teachers in high school both exhibited these qualities, but I find myself not completely agreeing with the exact statement Kant makes. Personally, I believe that (depending on the context) having more passion and emotion along with the other qualities can increase the natural worth people attribute to them. This could be because the way that I see the world, is more of an emphasis on the amount of drive a person has; if a person has little passion, that could convey little drive and in a world where we constantly want to increase our knowledge, people with passion and drive. From an intellectual stance – passing