HANIE LUH G.

ELUMBARING

THE GOOD WILL AND PROPER SELF-ESTEEM

To act out of a "good will" for Kant means to act out of a sense of moral obligation or
"duty". In other words, the moral agent does a particular action not because of what it produces
(its consequences) in terms of human experience, but because he or she recognizes by
reasoning that it is morally the right thing to do and thus regards him or herself as having
a moral duty or obligation to do that action. One may of course as an added fact get some
pleasure or other gain from doing the right thing, but to act morally, one does not do it for the
sake of its desirable consequences, but rather because one understands that it is morally the right
thing to do. In this respect Kant's view towards morality parallels the Christian's view concerning
obedience to God's commandments, according to which the Christian obeys God's
commandments simply because God commands them, not for the sake of rewards in heaven after
death or from fear of punishment in hell. In a similar way, for Kant the rational being does what
is morally right because he recognizes himself as having a moral duty to do so rather than for
anything he or she may get out of it.

According to Kant doing something out of good will means doing it strictly for the sake
of duty. Meaning, you do the right thing because it is your “job” to do so. As soon as you are
doing an act out of the fact that you are inclined to do so because of some reward, or pleasure
that is involved then that act will not account for your Good Will. Kantian Ethics is straight to
the point duty inspired. There is no other emotion that should be felt other then “I must do this
because it is my duty.”

For instance, a shopkeeper gives fair prices and treats customers well because it is the
right thing to do. It is her duty.
According to Kant, reason, rather than emotion, directs the will. As autonomous and rational
beings, we have the ability to use our reason to discern what is right or wrong without needing to
rely on outside authorities.

A person of good will, unlike a heteronomous moral agent, always acts out of a sense of
duty and a reverence for the moral law without regard for consequences or immediate
inclinations

As autonomous beings, people of good will are free from external pressures. They are lawgivers
unto themselves; that is, they impose the moral law upon themselves. Kant, however, was not
suggesting that morality is relative or subjective. Instead, he believed that all rational beings
would arrive at the same conclusions regarding what is right and wrong.

THE DUTY OF SELF IMPROVEMENT

The cultivation of a good will involves the recognition that we have a duty to treat
people as beings of infinite value. As rational beings, we have just as much moral value as
anyone else. Kant maintains that persons have a duty to respect themselves, which consists in
regarding themselves as equal in moral status to other persons.

The duty of self-improvement is one of our most important duties. We have a

duty to treat ourselves with respect, just as we have a moral duty to treat others with respect and
dignity.The importance of proper self-esteem in our moral development has been verified by
psychological studies . Studies of well-being show a high correlation between positive self-
esteem and high-esteem for others.

Young people with high self-esteem also “have more friends, are more apt to
resist harmful peer pressure, are less sensitive to criticism or to what people think, have higher
IQ’s, and are better informed,, more physically coordinated, less shy and subject to stage fright,
and are more apt to be assertive and get their needs met. High self-esteem is considered by some
to be the essential core, the basic foundation, of positive mental health.
 Proper self-respect, besides being related to respect for others, also makes one less
dependent on the opinions and reactions of others. People who have high self-esteem receive
more respect from others and are less vulnerable to being exploited by others. People with low
self-esteem, on the other hand, “are especially vulnerable to developing stress disorders [such as]
underachievement at school, depression, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, nightmares, hyperactivity,
aggressive behavior, withdrawal from others, nervous laughter, body aches and emotional
tension.