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Good Life Is The Free Life Essay

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In this paper, I will argue that good life is the free life. As Immanuel Kant once said, “independence from being constrained by another’s choice, insofar as it can coexist with the someone else’s freedom.” I will also argue that the role of the government in helping one live the good life is to protect its citizens as well as to keep the peace.
Before any arguments are made it is important to understand and state the position that Immanuel Kant holds for what constitutes the good life and the role of the government in helpings us achieve it. When it comes to the concept of the good life Kant believes that the highest good for human beings is acquiring both complete virtue and happiness at the same time. However, it is important to understand that there is no necessary connection between the two, and it might even lead to opposition. For example, picture someone who is on a diet and there is a slice of chocolate cake in front of that person, the right thing to do is to not eat it the cake even though eating the cake would’ve made that person happy. Kant focuses on virtue and what individuals must do to cultivate a virtuous character. For Kant, virtue is the strength possessed by individuals to resist bodily inclinations and do what is right. According to Kant this is what differentiate us from animals (bodily desires) and divine beings (reason). Kant claims that the purpose of human reason is to make us worthy of happiness by helping us in becoming virtuous. According to
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