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A Kantian is able to go beyond simply stating that an action is right or wrong by citing
chapter and verse; a Kantian can explain why it is right or wrong.
2.6.1 Good Will and the Categorical Imperative
Kant begins his inquiry by asking, “What is always good without qualification?” Many
things, such as intelligence and courage, can be good, but they can also be used in a way
that is harmful. For example, a group of gangsters may use intelligence and courage to
rob a bank. Kant's conclusion is that the only thing in the world that can be called good
without qualification is a good will. People with good will often accomplish good deeds,
but producing beneficial outcomes is not what makes a good will good. A good will is
good in and of itself. Even if a person's best efforts at doing good should fall short and
cause harm, the good will behind the efforts is still good. Since a good will is the only
thing that is universally good, the proper function of reason is to cultivate a will that is
good in itself.
Most of us have probably had many experiences when we've been torn between what
we want to do and what we ought to do. According to Kant, what we want to do is
of no importance. Our focus should be on what we ought to do. Our sense of “ought
to” is called dutifulness [16]. A dutiful person feels compelled to act in a certain way
out of respect for some moral rule. Our will, then, should be grounded in a conception
of moral rules. The moral value of an action depends upon the underlying moral rule.
It is critical, therefore, that we be able to determine if our actions are grounded in an
appropriate moral rule.
What makes a moral rule appropriate? To enable us to answer this question, Kant
proposes the Categorical Imperative.
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (FIRST FORMULATION)
Act only from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be
universal moral laws.
To illustrate the Categorical Imperative, Kant poses the problem of an individual in
a difficult situation who must decide if he will make a promise with the intention of later
breaking it. The translation of this moral rule could be as follows: “A person may make
a false promise when that is the only way to escape a difficult situation.”
To evaluate this moral rule, we universalize it. What would happen if everybody in
extreme circumstances made false promises? If that were the case, nobody would believe
promises, and it would be impossible for our individual in distress to make a promise
that anyone believed. The moral rule self-destructs when we try to make it a universal
law. Therefore, it is wrong for a person in distress to make a promise with the intention
of breaking it.
It is important to see that Kant is not arguing that the consequences of every-
body breaking promises would be to undermine interpersonal relationships, increase
violence, and make people miserable, and that is why we cannot imagine turning our
 
 
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