Moral Obligations and Goodwill - Essay Example

Moral law demands that one consoles a friend, but if goodwill does not motivate such an action, then the inclination may have selfish interests.

Principle and reason shape human behavior, rather than the expected consequence or emotional feeling that triggers actions. For that reason, a person would see it right to console somebody because of principle, even if they feel no compassion or empathy for the victim. This means that conscious concerns regulate emotions and they serve an important role in the person's moral life. Human dignity demands that one act in a similar way that they would like others to treat them. Even so, while society cannot hold a person accountable for moral obligations or inclinations, they are accountable for their goodwill, because it is often under a person’s control.