Good Will and Kant's Three Postulates
Good will is the only thing Kant considers genuinely good without qualification. Your talents, intelligence, or even courage mean nothing morally unless they're guided by good will. It's like having the purest intention to do right - that's what makes actions truly moral.
Kant believed his ethical system required three fundamental assumptions about reality. First, we must have free will - without genuine choice, moral responsibility becomes impossible. Second, there must be an afterlife where good deeds are ultimately rewarded with happiness (the summum bonum). Third, God must exist to ensure this cosmic justice actually happens.
Evaluating Kantian ethics reveals both strengths and weaknesses. It promotes fairness, recognises human dignity, and forms the foundation for modern human rights. However, it struggles to guide us on what we should do (rather than what we shouldn't), and many people feel that consequences do matter morally.
Real World Application: Kant's influence appears everywhere from legal systems to medical ethics - wherever we insist that people shouldn't be treated merely as objects or means to an end.