An action done from duty derives its moral worth not from the purpose or outcome which is to be achieved through it but from the maxim on which it is based. Therefore, the action does not depend on the achievement of its objective but only on the principle of volition [willing] on which the action is based, independent of desired outcomes . . . Being truthful from duty is quite a different matter from being truthful out of fear of consequences. In the fi rst case the concept of acting out of duty already contains its own law; in the second, I must look elsewhere to see what effects for myself might be connected with an action. It is undoubtedly evil for me to deviate from the principle of duty, but if I betray my maxim of prudence, this can sometimes be advantageous to me, even though, overall, it is better to obey it.