KANT- ‘good Will’ Flashcards
What does a good will represent for Kant
The only ‘pure’ good in the world so is the only source of moral value
What is an example of ends of supposed good can be bad
Someone could gain happiness from torture or use intelligence to con money from pensioners
Why can’t an end be morally good by itself
It needs to accompanied by or as a result of a good will. Therefore a good will is the only source of good
What does the phrase ‘a good will is one which acts for the sake of duty’ mean
A morally good action is one that comes from the duty of wanting to act in accordance with the moral law. So when you will an action you are not motivated by an end or goal but because it is your duty
What does deontological mean
Ethics that are based on duty
Why is Kants theory labelled as deontological
As it focuses on the motive not consequences when assigning moral worth
What is a criticism of the idea of a good will
IS A GOOD WILL ALWAYS GOOD?
Example- billy tries to help everyone but is very clumsy so ends up hurting people and breaking their belongings when helping them. Therefore people could question Billy’s good will as being a good thing after a while of causing unintentional harm
