Good will is based upon Immanuel Kant’s moral reasoning and theory, whereas all individuals have certain moral rights and duties, and all have the moral right to be treated as free and equal. Kant’s theory is similar to the golden rule “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you”. Good will stems from this theory and it’s important because it is the only good as Kant puts it “without qualification”, meaning it is good in itself; hence it is always wholly good.
Good will is used to help focus on the right and wrong of an action and the duties that an individual possesses and applies to that action. It is correlated with respecting the moral law and choosing an action or duty that all individuals would also act on, moreover, it needs to be universally understood and accepted. Good will is a basic motive to do the right thing or to do “one’s duty”. For something to be “good will” one must produce an action that acts on duty, furthermore it will produce a universal satisfaction for all, and is also at the same time the morally right thing to do. Something is not considered good will according to Kant if the act is out of “inclination”, meaning to do something because it will make the individual feel good or the individual can personally gain from it. Basically an act is considered to be good will if an action is carried out to act on a moral duty, and is not considered good will if an individual is solely motivated or intrigued by a specific end where gains can be made.
Good will is important because Kant states that it is good “without limitation or qualification”. This means that an act or action must always be good; it cannot be a good means to one end and a bad means to some other, it is merely a good end in itself. Good will is important, yet hard a ...