Question

What does Kant use the shopkeeper/merchant scenario to say about "moral worth"? Why is it that the merchant who doesn't enjoy interacting with her customers but nonetheless treats them kindly has more moral worth than the merchant who enjoys interacting with them?

A) Kant uses the scenario to illustrate that moral worth is determined by one's personal preferences. The merchant who doesn't enjoy interacting with customers has more moral worth because her actions are less self-serving.
B) Kant uses the scenario to argue that moral worth is not based on personal enjoyment but on duty. The merchant who doesn't enjoy interacting with customers has more moral worth because she acts out of duty, not personal inclination.
C) Kant uses the scenario to show that moral worth is irrelevant in business. The merchant who enjoys interacting with customers is equally morally worthy because she brings pleasure to her work.
D) Kant uses the scenario to emphasize that moral worth is determined by the pleasure derived from one's actions. The merchant who enjoys interacting with customers has more moral worth because she derives pleasure from her actions.

Answer 1

Kant's merchant scenario illustrates that moral worth arises from acting out of duty, not from personal enjoyment. A merchant whose kind treatment of customers stems from a sense of duty exhibits higher moral worth than one who acts out of preference or enjoyment.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the shopkeeper/merchant scenario, Immanuel Kant elucidates that moral worth is not based on personal enjoyment but on duty. Kant posits that a merchant who treats customers kindly without deriving personal pleasure or satisfaction from the interactions shows a higher moral worth because their actions are based on duty rather than on self-serving inclinations or desires. Formulated in this way, Kant's philosophy maintains that an action has moral worth only when it is done from duty, demonstrating the importance of good will, exercised as a result of our rational capacity, underscoring the value of the individual. The correct answer to the student's question is B) Kant uses the scenario to argue that moral worth is not based on personal enjoyment but on duty. The merchant who doesn't enjoy interacting with customers has more moral worth because she acts out of duty, not personal inclination.