Goodwill

Goodwill as a Disposition

“Goodwill” is a central concept in Western moral thinking. It has several meanings, even already in daily discourse. Common to the various meanings is that the concept refers to something internal to a person and that something is considered to be of moral value. Goodwill deserves moral esteem.

In common discourse, goodwill can first refer to a specific disposition of a person. As such, goodwill can be defined as the virtue of being prepared to accept the fair share of a burden, in the context of a situation in which a group of people wants to realize a goal that involves costs of some sort that must be borne by the members. Put briefly, a person of goodwill does not take advantage of ...