There are various philosophical approaches that show how we ought to act morally.
Kant distinguishes himself from ethical theories that place happiness, utility, or character at the center. Today he is understood above all as the founder of a “duty-based ethics,” in contrast to the “virtue ethics” of antiquity and to the now prevalent “utilitarianism,” which weighs the consequences of an action. For Kant, only the inner obligation to moral action matters; a stable character, usefulness, or pleasure are secondary for him. And what do you orient yourself by?