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Kant and Grounding for the metaphysics of morals
Immanuel Kant is one of the most influential philosophers in the history of western philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics and ethics have had a profound affect on other philosophical movements as well. Kant’s moral philosophy is centered on the notion of good will. He believes good will is the faculty of acting according to a conception of law. However, we are able to control the will behind our actions. In the first section of his book, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant has two main principles which support his belief. First, he says that an action has value, or is good, if it is not merely in agreement with duty but also for the sake of duty. Also, he believes that an action’s moral value comes from the maxim that guides the action.
The morality of an action, therefore, must be assessed in terms of the motivation behind it. For example, if two people, Suzy and Sam, perform the same act, from the same conception of law, but an accident prevents Suzy from achieving her goal, she is not less praiseworthy for not succeeding. According to Kant, both Suzy and Sam should be considered equal in the will of their actions. The only thing that is good without qualification is a good will. In order to at
Approximate Word count = 1000
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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