Godhetsmål

Godhetsmål (Swedish for "goals of goodness") is a term used in moral philosophy to denote the ends or aims that guide benevolent or virtuous action. The concept concerns what moral agents should strive for as the ultimate purposes of their actions, going beyond compliance with rules or calculation of consequences.

Origin and usage: The word combines godhet meaning goodness or virtue and mål meaning goal or aim. It appears in Nordic ethical discussions, educational literature on character, and debates about public policy aligned with moral ideals. In translations, it is often rendered as “ends of benevolence” or “final goals of the good.”

Conceptual framework: Godhetsmål can be understood as intrinsic goods—valued for their own sake—or as instrumental to broader aims such as welfare, justice, or human flourishing. In virtue ethics, godhetsmål aligns with cultivated traits like compassion, honesty, courage, and temperance that uplift a person and community. In utilitarian or welfare-focused theories, the godhetsmål may center on maximizing well-being or reducing suffering. Some theories endorse a pluralist set of goods that must be balanced, such as autonomy, dignity, and friendship, rather than a single metric.

Evaluation and challenges: Because godhetsmål concerns normative ends, disagreements about what counts as “the good” complicate assessment of actions. Operationalizing godhetsmål in policy or AI design raises questions about measurement, cultural variation, and potential conflicts among competing goods.

Contemporary relevance: The term is used in philosophical discussions of moral education, policy deliberation, and the design of benevolent artificial agents, where there is emphasis on aligning actions with overarching benevolent aims.

See also: virtue ethics; utilitarianism; deontology; moral philosophy; well-being; justice.