“All our knowledge begins with the senses, then proceeds to the intellect and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason” (Kant 1). Using reason as a representation of one's intellect is a common trait in the 21st century. Happiness, a positive emotion, tends to cloud judgment and forces philosophers to consider its relevance when making ethical decisions. When considering the role of emotions in ethical decisions, one must consider the contrasting views of Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century Prussian philosopher who centered his philosophy around the doctrine of reason, versus those of John Stewart Mill, a British philosopher of the 19th century who followed the doctrine of happiness through the ideology of utilitarianism. I will argue that when making ethical decisions, it is imperative that happiness plays a very recessive role, if any at all, in the decision-making process since it does not represent morality in any form. According to Kant, a deontological ethicist, happiness is “continuous well-being, enjoyment of life, full satisfaction with one's condition” (Kant 593). View happiness as a form of hypothetical imperative, as opposed to a categorical imperative. Kant focuses exclusively on reason and does not explore the consequences of actions. He believes that there is no universal sense of happiness, and therefore states that the doctrine of happiness should not be equated with that of the doctrine of reason. In his work Critique of Practical Reason, Kant defines happiness as “the state of a rational being in the world, in whose entire existence everything goes according to his desire or will”; yet it is not a pleasure nor a source of happiness associated with a moral life… middle of paper… to be learned from experience” (Kant 370). Since happiness contains knowledge derived from experience, it need not have any moral significance. Therefore, Kant rightly leaves it out of his moral theory. In conclusion, through this article, I have tried to demonstrate that, despite Mill's utilitarian position, Kant's deontological ethics stands on solid ground when he states that happiness should not be used in ethical decisions. manufacturing. It is not always logical to take human nature into account in an ethical decision as emotions and experiences tend to cloud the thinking process. Although today's society focuses on consequences to achieve happiness, I believe humanity has been forced to take an immoral path of ethical reasoning. Kant, Immanuel. "Foundations of the metaphysics of morality". The German Library: volume 13. Ed. Ernest Behler. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 2006.