Kant2

To understand Kant’s “function argument” it is useful to understand what he means by

“practical reason” (as opposed to theoretical reason.)

Practical Reason: Reason or reflective thought concerned with the issues of voluntary
decision and action. Practical reason includes “everything which is possible by or through
freedom.” In general, practical reason deals with problems of everyday decision making,
but it entails the area of ethics specifically. Practical reason is concerned with our moral
intuitions. (Kant asserted the primacy of practical reason over theoretical reason, and also
asserted as practical postulates (q.v.) certain conceptions which were not hypothetically
demonstrable.)

Theoretical Reason: Reflective thought dealing with cognition, knowledge, and science.
Contrasted with practical reason, which is concerned with moral and religious intuitions.

Kant’s function argument:

1. In living beings, no organ (or faculty) will be found which is not the fittest and
best adapted to its purposes.
2. Instinct would be a better guide to our happiness than practical reason is. (The use
of reason may lead to more trouble, less happiness and contentment.)
3. Happiness cannot be the sole or primary purpose of practical reason.
4. There must be another and higher purpose for practical reason.
5. Reason’s proper function must be to produce a will good in itself.

The upshot: Nature has given us practical reason for the sake of producing a good will.
A good will is the highest good, but it is not (as we saw previously) the only good.
Happiness is a secondary purpose. Its goodness is contingent on its possession by a good
will.
Notice that in this argument Kant has turned our attention away from “happiness” as the
root of morality and toward what he calls “the good will.” Happiness is a secondary
purpose, and as such it is conditional on its possession by a good will.

So, what is “the good will?”

For now let’s define it as a “Rationally informed faculty disposing one to act in a certain
way.”
What is it informed by? Practical reason. And the very purpose of practical reason is to
produce a will that is good.

What does it mean for a will to be “good.”

Kant has told us what it does not mean: We do not call a will “good” because of anything
it can accomplish. Rather, it is good only because of its willing.

What does the good will will? Action in accordance with duty.
Today we have Kant attempting to distinguish what gives an action “real moral worth.”

There are four types of actions that Kant described in today’s reading: