Kant's Concept Of Happiness, And Related Issues

In this paper, the author is trying to clarify the concept of happiness in Kant's ethics. She thought "happiness" in Kant's ethics has three meanings or layers. These can be characterized respectively as natural happiness, moral happiness and divine happiness. Natural happiness is wholly empirical and material. So when isolated, it can be good or evil, which means that virtue is extrinsic to natural happiness. Moral happiness is based on rational will as well as on the whole natural ends, with the natural ends restricted by virtue. This means the virtue is intrinsic to moral happiness. Divine happiness is self-sufficient, contains no material elements and concerned with the will of the God (pure rational will).This means the virtue is identical to the happiness. Through a careful analysis of the concept of happiness, the author concludes that the highest good is possible in this world, other people's happiness is our duty. Therefore morality would be able to stand on itself without appeal to religion.