Goodness: Kant Goodness Is an Term Paper

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In these times, we do not just need to be good, or have a hazy sense of right and wrong but what we actually need is strength and courage to actually act on our beliefs and values. Kant maintained that goodness is something that gives " a positive command to a man, namely to bring all his capacities and inclinations under his (reason's) control and so to rule over himself... For unless reason holds the reins of government in its own hands, man's feelings and inclinations play the master over him." (Kant 1991, 208)

The concept of good will is also closely associated with Kant's theory of goodness. Kant felt that for a person to display signs of goodness, he must work with a good will. Good will is something which doesn't need any verification or additional evidence of it being a good and positive force. He further explained that "the only thing good without qualification is a 'good will'. While the phrases 'he's good hearted', 'she's good natured' and 'she means well' are common, 'the good will' as Kant thinks of it is not the same as any of these ordinary notions. The idea of a good will is closer to the idea of a 'good person', or, more archaically, a 'person of good will'... The basic idea is that what makes a good person good is his possession of a will that is in a certain way 'determined' by, or makes its decisions on the basis of, the moral law. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

The altered or modified definition of goodness would thus read something like this: possessing courage and strong character that would enable a person to act on his good values and beliefs in trying times.

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A person would be said to have goodness if he doesn't let go of his values when they are put to the test. If a person despite being good and virtuous otherwise is unable to act according to his beliefs under odd circumstances, he cannot be said to possess goodness. For example, Sara is a young girl with good moral values and a strong sense of right and wrong. She encounters a tough situation during an examination when she feels that if she resorts to unfair means, she might be able to get the position she has been working very hard for. However she knows that by doing this, she would also be violating the rights of others and not acting according to her values. Now Sara has two options: she can either choose the right but tougher route or wrong but easier path. This is where courage steps in. If she has the courage, she would opt for the latter option and thus be considered someone with goodness. This is what we mean when we say that courage is an important component of goodness......

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