... according to Kant, not because in doing so we may lose the trust of others but because in making a promise we have brought upon ourselves a moral obligation and therefore, it is our duty to keep it. If we resist the temptation to steal only because we don't want to get caught we are not behaving morally. We are behaving morally, on the other hand, if we resist because we believe it is wrong to steal and that by stealing we would be treating someone else as a means to an end (e.g. for our own enrichment) which would be wrong in itself. Kant then goes on to argue that in an ideal world (one in which good was always rewarded and evil punished) moral behaviour (which would be in accordance with the categorical imperative) would always lead to happiness. In the real world, however, this does not necessarily happen. Therefore ...

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