KANT Scholarship ESSAY!

An action that truly displays moral worth is one done solely from duty. This
action done from duty must also be one motivated in the right way and one that displays the good will. This action that displays moral worth is one done with respect for the moral law, and is done in the absence of any inclination. To further understand this claim, we must first investigate the definition of the good will. Philosopher Immanuel Kant believes that the good will is the only intrinsically good thing in our world. He argues that things like “courage, heroism, and resolve” can be used wrongly; and we know that happiness can’t be the foundation of morality as it is only good if it is gotten in a moral way. An example happiness being reach in an immoral way is a terrorist getting pleasure by murdering civilians. While this act may have produced to most happiness for the person, his happiness surely could not have been legitimate, as murdering someone is immoral. The “will” itself, is the ability of a person to make their own plans and decisions, and set their ends. A straightforward example of this is someone making the statement that, “I am going to be an engineer.” What makes this will “good” is not the end that it achieves but rather the intention, or motivation of the person using it. We can further state that a morally good intention is one in respect to duty alone, not one that might satisfy any desire. Kant exposes the good will and an example of an action that deserves moral praise through the investigation of a series of different situations.
In the series of situations set forth by Kant, we are dealing with a shopkeeper
selling candy to a young child. In the first situation, the shopkeeper overcharges the young lad, acting completely contrary to his duty. His actions neither comply with what is required of him nor display the good will. The second scenario presents the case in which the shopkeeper charges the boy the set price, but only because of some irrational self-interest. According to Kant, this action does not deserve moral praise because while the shopkeeper did perform the morally right action, he had immoral motives leading him to act in such a manner. In the third scenario, the shopkeeper is in an extra happy mood, and knows that acting out of good nature will only increase is own pleasure, so he charges the boy the set price. Although this shopkeeper’s actions did conform to duty, his personal inclinations led him to act in the manner that he did; giving us reason to state that his actions are of no moral worth. In the final scenario, the shopkeeper is in the most terrible of moods, as the jovial boy’s bounce in his step brings genuine pain to the shopkeeper. As the boy puts the money on the counter, the shopkeeper puts all inclinations aside and lets his good will shine by charging the child the set price. In this situation, we can see the good will in action, as the man was able to do the right thing
because it was the right thing to do, all hindrances aside. This, Kant would say, is an action done from duty.
This idea of acting from duty versus acting in conformity with duty is one that
Kant believes plays a pivotal role in whether or not an action is morally praiseworthy. According to Kant, an action done in accordance with duty is one in agreement with the requirements of duty, but not necessarily motivated in the right way. While this action may present itself as the morally good thing to do, it may still be done for the morally wrong reasons. An example of someone acting in accordance with duty but not from duty is a parent enrolling their child into school because he/she does not want other parents questioning his/her parenting practices. In this instance, while the parent is doing the right thing by giving their child the chance to an education, their action is backed by selfish motives. Kant claims that had the parents merely enrolled their kids because it was the right thing to do, their actions would have had some sort of moral worth.
An action done from duty is one that not only conforms to what duty requires of them, but is also motivated in the right sort of way. Kant suggests that an action done from duty not only merits “approval,” but “esteem,” as the person is using his resources to be beneficial but is not influenced by any inclinations. One example of one acting from duty is a completely distressed mother getting up at three in the morning to tend to her crying child. Recognizing the fact that the exhausted mother could have just as easily kept sleeping, she gets up nevertheless because she knows that her taking care of the child is the right thing to do. Another example of someone acting from duty is an exhausted husband taking his wife to the hospital after she goes into labor in the late hours of the night. Having just worked construction for twelve hours that day, the man is extremely tired and definitely not thrilled about getting up, but he nevertheless gets dressed and rushes his wife to the hospital as it is the right thing to do. Acting on no inclination, but rather out of respect for the moral law, Kant would say that these actions are actions done from duty.
Kant believes that we only deserve moral praise when we act from duty because
when we act from duty, we are using reason to dictate our actions. Along with using
reason, we are displaying a sense of autonomy in that we are capable of self-governing in moral matters and fully capable of doing the right thing. Upon using this autonomy, we are able to discover the moral law, and in turn act out of respect for it. Kant elaborates on this idea of acting out of respect by stating, “Only that which is connected with my will merely as a ground, never as an effect… can be an object of respect.” (pg. 16) This statement helps to further persuade us that the good will wants to follow moral law because of its respect for it. Kant believes that we can’t simply respect something because we want to, but rather, we must use reason to discover why we respect something. We can conclude that when an action is done in respect for the moral law, it not only displays the good will, but it is also done from duty.
Kant believes that respect for the moral law is completely separate from an
inclination like hunger or lust. He believes that acting on inclination is part of one’s animal instincts in that one acts because of a specific desire or motive. The difference that Kant attempts to expose between this and the respect for the moral law is that when acting in respect for the moral law, one is acting from duty and doesn’t necessarily want to do the action but does it simply because it is the right thing to do. We must also recognize Kant’s definition of acting in respect to something (as previously discussed); taking note that it involves using reason while acting on an inclination is purely psychological. Kant, therefore would disagree with the claim that one’s respect for the moral law is just another inclination.