Good Will Hunting

1
Good Will Hunting

• TRAD 104 Justice Virtue
• November 12, 2008

2
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

3
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

4
Kantian Caveat

• It is better to be thought a fool than to open
  your mouth and remove all doubt.

• The more I say here today, the more likely it is
  that I will say something false.
• How many read the Kantian passage for today?
• Kant is difficult.
• Indeed, even extremely difficult.
• An apparently flat-footed notion can turn out to
  be quite complex.
• Kantian Talking Points.
• My Goal
• Help us understand the material without dumbing
  it down
• so much that we lose Kant in the process.

5
Getting Back Up to Speed

• What is a Good Will?
• The term sounds a bit archaic by todays
  standards.
• Jenny has a Good Will.
• Common Translations
• Jenny has a good heart.
• Jennys heart is in the right place.
• Jenny is good-natured.
• Jenny means well.
• Jenny has good intentions.
• Jenny has good motivations.
• Jenny has good desires.
• Problem These dont quite match.

6
Getting Back Up to Speed

• What is a Good Will?
• The term sounds a bit archaic by todays
  standards.
• Jenny has a Good Will.

Closer Translation a good person. A person
has a good will if he or she possesses a will
that is determined by the moral law. A person
with a good will makes all of her decisions by
allowing moral considerations to guide her
life. If Jenny has a good will, then Jenny is a
good person. She is the kind of person whose
actions are determined by her respect for and
consideration of the moral law.
7
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

8
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

9
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.

• A GW is complete. It requires nothing else in
  order to be good.
• Synonyms Unconditionally good and
  Good-in-itself
• How do we know this is true?
• We cannot imagine disapproving of a GW.
• Example Rich Guy, Poor Guy
• Both men have a disposition to act on the duty of
  benevolence.
• The goodness of each mans GW does not differ.
• The goodness of the GW is not qualified by
  consequences.

10
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

11
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

12
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.

• Is a GW the only good thing?
• No.
• Talents of Mind, Gifts of Fortune, Happiness,
  etc.
• But all of these are only qualifiedly good.
• Only a GW is unqualifiedly good.
• Example Pleasures of the Sadist
• Utilitarian Wellat least the Sadist whistled
  while he worked.
• Kantian The fact that he whistled makes the
  pleasure all the worse.

13
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

14
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

15
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.

• What makes other good things good?
• Examples Talents of Mind, Gifts of Fortune,
  Happiness, Pleasure, et cetera.
• Answer A Good Will
• Pleasure is good when experienced by a person
  possessing a GW.
• Courage is good when exercised by a person
  possessing a GW.
• Happiness is deserved and good when manifested in
  a person possessing a GW.

16
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

17
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

18
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

• Pretty Simple Nothing is better than a GW.
• Skittles?
• Kant A GW is even better than Skittles, Dan.

19
Getting Back Up to Speed

• The Goodness of a Good Will
• Four Critical Take Home Points About the Good
  Will
• A GW is good without qualification.
• Only a GW is good without qualification.
• A GW is the condition of all other good things.
• A GW is the highest good.

20
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

21
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

22
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

23
Good Will Hunting

• How do we locate the Good Will?
• Kant says that it need not be taught.
• It merely needs to be elucidated.
• How do we bring the concept out?
• Answer the concept of DUTY.
• We shall take up the concept of duty, which
  includes that of a good willwhich far from
  hiding a good will or rendering it
  unrecogniz-able, rather brings it out by contrast
  and makes it shine forth more brightly. (397)

24
Sidestep Locating Goodness
Utilitarianism
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects

• How do we determine the goodness of lying?
• Utilitarians ???
• Is the goodness found in the kind of person who
  commits the action?
• Is the goodness found in the motivation that
  underlies the action?
• Is the goodness found in the type of action that
  is committed?
• No. Utilitarians focus on the effects of an
  action in order to determine its goodness.

• Kantians ???
• Is the goodness found in the effects of an
  action?
• Is the goodness found in the type of action that
  is committed?
• Is the goodness found in the motivation that
  underlies the action?
• Is the goodness found in the kind of person who
  commits the action?

25
Sidestep Locating Goodness
Utilitarianism
Kantians
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
How do we determine the goodness of lying?

• Kantians ???
• Is the goodness found in the effects of an
  action?
• Is the goodness found in the type of action that
  is committed?
• Is the goodness found in the motivation that
  underlies the action?
• Is the goodness found in the kind of person who
  commits the action?

Simplified Answer Kantians locate the goodness
of an action in its motivation.
26
Sidestep Locating Goodness
Kantians
Utilitarianism
Good Will
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
How do we determine the goodness of lying?

• Kantians ???
• Is the goodness found in the effects of an
  action?
• Is the goodness found in the type of action that
  is committed?
• Is the goodness found in the motivation that
  underlies the action?
• Is the goodness found in the kind of person who
  commits the action?

Better Answer Kantians locate the goodness of
an action in the possession of a Good Will,
determined by the moral law, which includes a
predisposition to act on certain motivations.
27
Sidestep Locating Badness
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
Badness? Utilitarians?
UTILITARIANS
KANTIANS
Kantians?
28
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

29
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

30
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
31
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects

• The Kantian wants us to focus our attention on
  the underlying motivation of an action.
• Problem How do we figure out what motivates a
  particular action?
• Any given action may easily have two or more
  motivations that could explain the action.
• What was your motivation for attempting a college
  education?

• What was your motivation for taking this course?
• What was your motivation for voting (not voting)
  in the most recent election?
• What was the motivation behind shutting down I-10
  for fifty years?
• What was your motivation for talking during an
  excellent TRAD 104 lecture?
• Problem How do we determine when a person has a
  good will?

32
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
Problem How do we determine when a person has a
good will?

• We do what philosophers do best
• Use test cases to isolate instances in which we
  know that it is the good will alone motivating a
  given action.
• In this way, we can separate the wheat from the
  chaff.

33
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Motivation
Action
Effects
Problem How do we determine when a person has a
good will?

• We do what philosophers do best
• Use test cases to isolate instances in which we
  know that it is the good will alone motivating a
  given action.
• In this way, we can separate the wheat from the
  chaff.

34
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Moral Law/Duty
Action
Effects
Problem How do we determine when a person has a
good will?

• We do what philosophers do best
• Use test cases to isolate instances in which we
  know that it is the good will alone motivating a
  given action.
• In this way, we can separate the wheat from the
  chaff.

35
Spotlight on Motivation
Person
Action
Effects
Problem How do we determine when a person has a
good will?

• We do what philosophers do best
• Use test cases to isolate instances in which we
  know that it is the good will alone motivating a
  given action.
• In this way, we can separate the wheat from the
  chaff.

36
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

37
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

38
Kants Four Cases

• In the passage you read today, Kant presents us
  with four different cases that help us isolate
  the Good Will.
• Goal Find a case in which a person is motivated
  to perform an action by her possession of a Good
  Will. Eliminate all other possible motivations.

39
Case 1 Actions Contrary to Duty

• Consider the class of all possible actions.

ACTIONS
We are interested in finding actions that accord
with duty. Hence, Kant eliminates all actions
that are contrary to duty, for they could never
be willed by a Good Will.
Contrary to Duty
40
Case 1 Actions Contrary to Duty

• Consider the class of all possible actions.

ACTIONS
We are interested in finding actions that accord
with duty. Hence, Kant eliminates all actions
that are contrary to duty, for they could never
be willed by a Good Will.
Contrary to Duty
This leaves us with only actions that are in
accordance with duty. Example Telling the
truth.
In Accordance with Duty
41
Moral Worth Scorecard

• 1. Actions Contrary to Duty?
• Utilitarians Can have moral worth, depending on
  the consequences of the action.
• Kantians No moral worth, regardless of
  consequences. Period.

42
Case 2 Actions Performed from Inclination
Consider the Case of the Shopkeeper For example,
that a dealer should not overcharge an
inexperienced purchaser certainly accords with
duty and where there is much commerce, the
prudent merchant does not overcharge but keeps to
a fixed price for everyone in general, so that a
child may buy from him just as well as everyone
else may. Thus customers are honestly served,
but this is not nearly enough for making us
believe that the merchant acted this way from
duty and from principles of honesty his own
advantage required him to do it. (397)
In Accordance with Duty
Shopkeeper
Fair Pricing
Good Business
Action is in accordance with duty. The
shopkeeper has a duty to engage in honest trade.
But the action is motivated not from duty.
Rather, it is impelled by some other
inclination (397).
Consequently, the action of the shopkeeper has no
moral worth.
43
Moral Worth Scorecard

• 2. Actions Performed from Inclination?
• Utilitarians Same story. Can have moral worth,
  depending on the consequences of the action.
• Kantians No moral worth, regardless of
  consequences. Period.

44
Case 3 Actions Performed from
Immediate Inclination
Consider the Case of Preserving Ones Life To
preserve ones life is a duty and, furthermore,
everyone has also an immediate inclination to do
so. But on this account the often anxious care
taken by most men for it has no intrinsic worth,
and the maxim of their action has no moral
content. They preserve their lives, to be sure,
in accordance with duty, but not from duty. (398)
In Accordance with Duty
Ellis Redding Red
Not Hanging Himself
Redemption
Action is in accordance with duty. Red has a
duty to preserve his own life.
But the action is motivated not from duty.
Rather, it is impelled by some other
inclination (397).
Consequently, the action of Red has no moral
worth.
45
Moral Worth Scorecard

• 3. Actions Performed from Immediate Inclination?
• Utilitarians Same story. Can have moral worth,
  depending on the consequences of the action.
• Kantians No moral worth, regardless of
  consequences. Period.

46
And now the moment weve all been waiting for.
47
Case 4 Actions Performed from Duty
Consider the Case of Preserving Ones Horrible
Life On the other hand, if adversity and
hopeless sorrow have completely taken away the
taste for life, if an unfortunate man, strong in
soul and more indignant at his fate than
despondent or dejected, wishes for death and yet
preserves his life without loving itnot from
inclination or fear, but from dutythen his maxim
indeed has moral content. (398)
In Accordance with Duty
Maximus Decimus Meridias
Not dying to be with his family.
Restoration of Rome
Action is in accordance with duty. Maximus has a
duty to preserve his own life.
The action cannot be motivated by an immediate
inclination. Indeed, his immediate inclination
is to die.
The action cannot be motivated by a prudential
inclination. His continued life promises nothing
but sorrow.
Consequently, the action of Maximus has MORAL
WORTH!!!
48
Case 4 Actions Performed from Duty
Consider the Case of Preserving Ones Horrible
Life On the other hand, if adversity and
hopeless sorrow have completely taken away the
taste for life, if an unfortunate man, strong in
soul and more indignant at his fate than
despondent or dejected, wishes for death and yet
preserves his life without loving itnot from
inclination or fear, but from dutythen his maxim
indeed has moral content. (398)
Action is in accordance with duty. Maximus has a
duty to preserve his own life.
The action cannot be motivated by an immediate
inclination. Indeed, his immediate inclination
is to die.
The action cannot be motivated by a prudential
inclination. His continued life promises nothing
but sorrow.
Consequently, the action of Maximus has MORAL
WORTH!!!
49
Moral Worth Scorecard

• 4. Actions Performed from Duty?
• Utilitarians Same story. Can have moral worth,
  depending on the consequences of the action.
• Kantians This is where the Good Will and moral
  worth are located. Such actions have moral
  worth, regardless of consequences.

50
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

51
Todays Menu

• Amuse Bouche
• Good Will Starter A bite-sized summary of the
  lecture material covered so far.
• Main Course
• Good Will Hunting Youll feel as if youve
  joined the hunt!
• Includes
• Locating Goodness Utilitarians and Kantians
  alike will vie for your taste buds.
• Spotlight on Motivation So many excellent
  flavors. How will we decide?
• Kants Four Case Appetizer A true tour of
  ethical Germany.
• Dessert
• Santa Claus Sunday End the meal your way.

52
Problems?

• What would Kant say about the following case?
• Meet Santa Claus. Santa finds an inner pleasure
  in spreading joy around him and rejoices in
  delighting millions of children all over the
  world by showering them with gifts on Christmas.
• Do the actions of Santa Claus have moral worth?
• Utilitarians Sure! Simply add up all of the
  pleasure!
• Kantians Not if you perform these actions out
  of immediate inclination, Santa. Sorry!
• Really?

53
Problems?

• What would Kant say about the following case?
• Meet Misery Claus. Misery finds no inner
  pleasure in spreading joy around the world and,
  in fact, desires to kill himself the next time
  some child pulls his beard. He is not touched by
  the hopes and dreams of children at all. Indeed,
  he secretly wishes that he could set fire to the
  homes of all the children of the world, while he
  watches the world burn from his sleigh.
• Nevertheless, he tears himself away from his
  gin-soaked sadness once a year and performs his
  gift-giving expedition solely from duty.
• Do the actions of Misery Claus have moral worth?
• Utilitarians Sure! But it would be even
  better if he werent so miserable.
• Kantians Finally! A Claus with true moral
  character! A man of real worth!

54
Final Discussion

• Is Kant saying that he wants us to be miserable
  all the time?
• Food for thought Dont we highly value moral
  effort?
• When someone struggles against their
  inclinations, dont we value their efforts?
• Dont we value the motive upon which people act?
• Can Utilitarians be right? Can motive not matter
  at all?
• Why doesnt Kant assign moral value to actions
  motivated by inclination?

55
Fin