--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good will is good not because of what…" description: "\"“A good will is good not because of what it performs or effects, not by its aptness for the attainment of some proposed end, but simply by virtue of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg" --- # A good will is good not because of what it performs or… ![“A good will is good not because of what it performs or effects, not by its aptness for the attainment of some proposed end, but simply by virtue of the volition - that is, it is good in itself, and considered by itself is to be esteemed much higher than all that can be brought about by it in favor…” quote by Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg) > ““A good will is good not because of what it performs or effects, not by its aptness for the attainment of some proposed end, but simply by virtue of the volition - that is, it is good in itself, and considered by itself is to be esteemed much higher than all that can be brought about by it in favor of any inclination, nay, even of the sum-total of all inclinations... like a jewel, it would still shine by its own light, as a thing which has its whole value in itself.”” [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral worth comes from the intention behind an act, not its outcomes; virtue is valuable in itself like a self‑shining jewel. **In simple terms:** Goodness is intrinsic, not result‑based. Key Takeaway Value intentions over results. Themes ethics intrinsic value virtue Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - leadership - law - education - public policy Key Concepts Kantianism deontology moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What actions do you value for their own sake? - How can institutions reward intent? A Different Perspective Outcomes often matter in society, making pure intention hard to recognize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intentions/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [“Good intentions aren't enough, you must take right actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/good-intentions-aren-t-enough-you-must-take-right-actions/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [We tend to judge others by their behavior, and ourselves by our intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-tend-to-judge-others-by-their-behavior-and-ourselves-by-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often hidden intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/intellectuals-are-in-a-position-to-expose-the-lies-of-governments-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Truth can only be found in a person's record of actions, not their list of intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/truth-can-only-be-found-in-a-person-s-record-of-actions-not-their/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“Words reveal your beliefs and intentions. Actions reveal your character. When they are in alignment, they reveal your greatest life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/words-reveal-your-beliefs-and-intentions-actions-reveal-your/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [With you, I never knew, loving you could be so fun It's true, I was such a good, good girl before you came along](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/treasure/with-you-i-never-knew-loving-you-could-be-so-fun-it-s-true-i-was-such/) Treasure > [Good is not good enough. Better isn't your best. So always do your best because good isn't better than your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj/good-is-not-good-enough-better-isn-t-your-best-so-always-do-your-best/) Dj > [We can do more good by being good, than in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowland-hill/we-can-do-more-good-by-being-good-than-in-any-other-way/) Rowland Hill > [“If old age is good for anything it's good for being generous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kuhn/if-old-age-is-good-for-anything-it-s-good-for-being-generous/) William Kuhn > [There is a difference between what looks good and what is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anette-sandberg/there-is-a-difference-between-what-looks-good-and-what-is-good/) [Anette Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anette-sandberg/) > [You do what you know is good, because it's good, and then you have a certain peace of mind, saying, you've been an activist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-do-what-you-know-is-good-because-it-s-good-and-then-you-have-a/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [If you are good to this one and that one, this one and that one will say that you are good. If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/if-you-are-good-to-this-one-and-that-one-this-one-and-that-one-will/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [“Be good, see good, receive good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-bercier/be-good-see-good-receive-good/) Adam Bercier > [“Dylan stopped at an intersection and gave Chris a long look. 'Not you. You are original. Unique.' 'That good or bad?' 'Oh definitely good.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-fielding/dylan-stopped-at-an-intersection-and-gave-chris-a-long-look-not-you/) [Kim Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-fielding/) > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) ## More by Immanuel Kant > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/how-then-is-perfection-to-be-sought-wherein-lies-our-hope-in/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Heaven has given human beings three things to balance the odds of life: hope, sleep, and laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/heaven-has-given-human-beings-three-things-to-balance-the-odds-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/beauty-presents-an-indeterminate-concept-of-understanding-the-sublime/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from concepts ; mathematical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from the construction of concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/philosophical-knowledge-is-the-knowledge-gained-by-reason-from/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [When I could have used a wife, I could not support one; and when I could support one, I no longer needed any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/when-i-could-have-used-a-wife-i-could-not-support-one-and-when-i/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority... Supere aude! Dare to use your own understanding!is thus the motto of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/enlightenment-is-the-liberation-of-man-from-his-self-caused-state-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The ideal of the supreme being is nothing but a regulative principle of reason which directs us to look upon all connection in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-ideal-of-the-supreme-being-is-nothing-but-a-regulative-principle/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Jeg skal alltid handle slik at den regelen jeg handler etter kunne gjelde som allmenn lov.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/jeg-skal-alltid-handle-slik-at-den-regelen-jeg-handler-etter-kunne/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [It is precisely in knowing its limits that philosophy consists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/it-is-precisely-in-knowing-its-limits-that-philosophy-consists/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-society-that-is-not-willing-to-demand-a-life-of-somebody-who-has/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [. . . as to moral feeling, this supposed special sense, the appeal to it is indeed superficial when those who cannot think believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/as-to-moral-feeling-this-supposed-special-sense-the-appeal-to-it-is/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Explore all 476 Immanuel Kant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## More Actions quotes > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [A lot of my work involves instilling objects with the power of touch - a transference of soul, spirit, energy through actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-colen/a-lot-of-my-work-involves-instilling-objects-with-the-power-of-touch/) [Dan Colen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-colen/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [True love is proven through the actions of your true love!! Not through the act of saying it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-proven-through-the-actions-of-your-true-love-not-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [“When you are pushed to the wall, you will act and do things you have never done before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-are-pushed-to-the-wall-you-will-act-and-do-things-you-have/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) Alan Sheinwald > [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“We are the result of our mere actions. What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/) [Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. 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Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) [Browse all 1,287 Actions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A good will is good not because of what it performs or effects, not by its aptness for the attainment of some proposed end, but simply by virtue of the volition - that is, it is good in itself, and considered by itself is to be esteemed much higher than all that can be brought about by it in favor of any inclination, nay, even of the sum-total of all inclinations... like a jewel, it would still shine by its own light, as a thing which has its whole value in itself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Immanuel Kant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what-it-performs-or-effects-not-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what-it-performs-or-effects-not-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/immanuel-kant-532_actions_a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what_1185466.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A good will is good not because of what it performs or effects, not by its aptness for the attainment of…” — Immanuel Kant", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Immanuel Kant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A good will is good not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what-it-performs-or-effects-not-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-good-will-is-good-not-because-of-what-it-performs-or-effects-not-by/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```