Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals › The Central Insight: The Good Will

Kant opens the *Groundwork* with one of the most famous sentences in philosophy: > Nothing in the world, or indeed even beyond the world, can possibly be conceived that could be called good without qualification except a good will. This is not as obvious as it might seem. Consider other things we typically call good: intelligence, courage, wealth, health, happiness. Kant argues that all of these can be put to bad uses. Intelligence can serve cruelty. Courage can enable atrocity. Wealth can fuel oppression. Health can sustain villains. Even happiness is not unconditionally good. There is something obscene about a sadist enjoying his work. Only a good will (the will to do what is right because it is right) remains good in all circumstances. A good will cannot be corrupted or misdirected. Even if it achieves nothing, even if external circumstances render it powerless, the good will shines "like a jewel" in its own right. Its value is intrinsic rather than instrumental. This starting point already distances Kant from consequentialism. The quality of your will matters morally more than what you accomplish. A person who helps others purely for social approval has not acted morally, even if the outcome is beneficial. A person who struggles to overcome selfish impulses and does the right thing with difficulty has genuine moral worth. ::: {.callout-warning title="Common Misconception"} Kant does not think consequences are irrelevant to practical decision-making. Of course we should try to bring about good outcomes. His point is that the *moral worth* of an action depends on the will behind it, not the results. You can have moral worth while failing to achieve good outcomes, and you can achieve good outcomes while having no moral worth at all. :::