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Comparing Kant's The Good Will And The Categorical Imperative

471 Words2 Pages

Ava Schilsky
PHIL 1001H
Dr. Colette
4 March 2023 Immanuel Kant’s “The Good Will and the Categorical Imperative” explores the nature of morality and good will with use of allegories and philosophical explanations. He argues that “good will” is the only inherently good thing in the world; unlike “power, riches, honor, and even health,” good will is incorruptible. In contradiction to consequentialism, Kant asserts that the morality of an action is decided by the intentions behind it rather than the consequences. Additionally, this German philosopher makes the distinction between two different impetus for action: either out of respect for the moral law or out of respect for a duty or obligation. Kant also introduces the idea of categorical imperative: the idea that one can check the morality of an action based on whether or not the action can be followed universally and it does not use other humans as expendable objects. All in all, Kant provides a framework for thinking about moral actions as intention-based, universally-applicable, and humanely-respectable. …show more content…

“Hedonism” stated that the only intrinsic good is pleasure, and that one should choose actions based on the result of the highest amount of highest level of pleasure for the highest number of people. While the two passages are strikingly different, I can appreciate their similarities. For example, both philosophers were trying to describe a universal way to live morally. Both men also recognize that moral living is not an easy process, but it requires conscious deliberation

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