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Immanuel Kant focuses mainly on the role of duty. He believes that actions can be in accord with duty or be from duty. Duty is defined as an action which we are obligated to perform out of respect for the moral law. Moral law is practical reason, which is in every rational person, though some people are more aware of it than others. Moral law is having the knowledge of the difference between good and evil, and an inner conviction that we should do what is good. The concept of duty includes good will. Good will is good without qualification; it is good in itself and good through willing alone. It comes from an instinct within us and cannot be denied. Good will can be seen in moderation, self-control and sober reflection.
There are things in everyday life that have to do with duty. We are innately born with the capacity to learn right from wrong. Every single human being is molded by their parents, teachers, and anyone else who is a part of their life, from there on is how we determine what is good and what is evil. It is my duty to preserve my life. This idea works because there are many people there are many people who hate their lives and yet they will still keep their life dear to them. These people are not doing it for self satisfaction; it is just their duty to live on. A man who longs for death because his life is full of disappointment and misery, he still preserves his life even without loving it. This does not come from inclination or fear, it springs from duty.
Kant discusses the two laws that are produced by reason. The first law is the hypothetical imperative; a rule of action for achieving that end. For an example if you wish to buy a new house, then you must determine which houses are available to buy. There is no way that it can be hypothetical because our actions cannot be moral on the ground of some restrictive desire or goal. Morality depends on an unconditional explanation of one’s duty. The second law is...