Definitions HQ

The Highest good (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠all that can make us worthy of being, ourselves, the final purpose of creation.

The Highest good (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠happiness in proportion to worthiness to be happy — an end the moral law commands us to pursue, though nature alone can never join the two.

Highest good (n.) needs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a supreme intelligence behind it, not to make morality binding, but to keep it from being a mere ideal that exists nowhere.

The Highest good (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the whole object of a pure will but never its motive: take it as the determining ground before the moral law and you get heteronomy.

The Highest good (n.) was ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠where the ancients staked their whole moral inquiry, openly betraying their mistake; the moderns, having dropped the question, hide the same mistake behind indeterminate words.

The Highest good (n.) rules ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the realm of grace: the world seen as rational beings under moral laws, where all happiness awaits us unless we ourselves limit our share by unworthiness.

The Highest good (n.) hides ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an ambiguity: "highest" can mean supreme (the unconditioned condition — virtue) or complete (the whole — virtue crowned with happiness in proportion).

The Highest good (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the ideal of a morally perfect will joined with highest blessedness, cause of all happiness exactly proportioned to worthiness — and only in it can reason ground the hope that being good and being happy will meet.