Immanuel Kant's critique of happiness as an ethical principle Term Paper

Immanuel Kants critique of rapture as an honourable principle - Term Paper ExampleImmanuel Kants critique of gladness as an respectable principleIn his deontological theory, which is based on duty, he emphasized on the pre-eminence of reason that lead to the actions. He indicates that it is a psyches duty to act morally by obeying the moral law. He mentions, Everyone must admit that if a law is to mystify a moral force, that is, to be a basis of an obligation, it must carry with it infinite necessity (Kant, 1785, p.51) ii. Kant particularizes duty as practical and unconditional necessity of action which holds true for all rational beings. (Kant, 1785, p. 26) Kant describes happiness as a natural purpose of life. He quotes, All rational beings that are subordinate and thus one purpose that they not only can have but that we can brook they all do have as a matter of natural necessity. This purpose is happiness (Kant, 1785, p. 20). Kant, however, finds happiness as an ambiguou s feeling. He says, The concept of happiness is so indefinite that, although each person wishes to constitute it, he can never give a definite and self-consistent account of what it is that he wishes and wills down the stairs the heading of wanting happiness (Kant, 1785, p. 21). A persons perception of happiness is dependent on his experiences in life. A person might feel that wealth will give him happiness mortal else may want knowledge while those who feel that life itself gives pleasure may wish to have long life. However, they may not know with wealth comes anxiety in them and envy and maneuverings of others which make the person un expert. Knowledge may show a person the dreadfulness of evils which he was ignorant of and hence tire him. Long life accompanied with continuous illness is a burden more than a boon. therefore they may not feel as happy as the imagined on their compassment. Additionally, if a person pursues happiness, he can only get bits and pieces of advice which may be frugality, diet, restraints etc. and not detailed guiding principles as we have in case of moral laws. To explain the path of actual happiness, Kant (1785) mentions, the completed idea of happiness requires the thought of an absolute wholethe thought of a maximum of well-being in my present and in every future condition (p. 21). Kant (1785) adds, There couldnt be an imperative that in the strict awareness commanded us to do what makes for happiness, because happiness is an ideal not of reason but of imagination, depending only on experimental grounds. (p. 22). Thus, a person will achieve what he imagines as happiness, depends on several factors that can affect his future states and that there is not even remote possibility that he will take up a single action that can deviate him from his mission of complete happiness. In any scenario, it is not possible for a human being to have the kind of foresight and capability to plan and achieve his sources of happiness in suc h a vogue. Hence he can never be happy as understood in a common mans language. Kant has explained that an action based on impulse to satisfy ones feelings cannot always be right. Such an action that is motivated by some sort of inclination can never be based on moral laws. Also, what makes a person happy can be cause of other persons unhappiness. It cannot be ethical to make another human being unhappy. Thus Kant has explained the meaning of happiness in a manner that it does not play any role in the ethical system. Alternatively he has chosen to define happiness as the end purpose of any human beings life and not an ethic. He says Humanity might survive even if