Kant's Theory Of Moral Goodness

The phrase 'moral goodness ' is one that is plagued with ambiguity. How do you define 'moral goodness '? The vagueness of the term has resulted in vast and varying definitions of the term, for every man believes themselves an expert complained Socrates regarding this issue . Every moral experience involves 'moral goodness ', with the decisions, actions, and potentially results all playing a role in determining whether a moral decision achieves this status or not. Its role within experiences is deeply intertwined, making is difficult to isolate 'moral goodness ' and extract it from scenarios and the context. The varying definitions and the complexity of the topic make it one difficult to produce a sound meaning for, particularly when the …show more content…
Avoiding personal thoughts and the consequences significantly simplifies the issue. By bringing personal thoughts and intentions into the question, then once must start to consider many other factors that have the potential to lead one astray. Lets say that it 's supposed to be 30 degrees and sunny tomorrow, and is a freak occurrence that will only last the day. Jim has been working 60 hours a week for months now, and hasn 't taken a day off in over a year. Now, if Jim brings personal thoughts into this he may have the temptation to call in sick. He could justify this by saying that though it may be morally wrong to call in sick if your healthy, he also is working on the virtue of balance. He has always put work ahead of his personal life, and it has made a significant impact on his relationship with his wife and children. Jim may say that it is morally good to call in sick, because working on his virtue of balance is much more needed than honesty since he is quite an truthful person. Under Aristotle 's philosophy, this seems like the medium between two extremes. Jim could argue that this a medium between the extremes of working too much to extend of negligence towards his family, and not working or skipping work so much that he is being …show more content…
If someone decides to kill themselves because they are extremely depressed, they are using their life as a mere means to overcome their troubles. By not paying back someone who you are indebted to, you are using someone else as a mere means to financial gains. Fulfilling your maximum potential is necessary for humanity to a end in it self. The same goes for helping other humans, for otherwise you are using them as a mere means to avoid difficult situations and think only of your own self