Definition

Noun: * The moral principle that behavior should be determined by duty: A concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, stating that one must act only according to that maxim (or principle) whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. It is an unconditional moral obligation that is binding in all circumstances and is not dependent on a person's desires or goals.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Kant argued that the categorical imperative is the supreme principle of morality.
  • Lying is wrong because it violates the categorical imperative; if everyone lied, trust and communication would be impossible.
  • She made her decision based on the categorical imperative, choosing the action she believed was a universal duty.

Advanced Usage

• "To act from the categorical imperative": To perform an action purely because it is recognized as one's duty, not because of any potential benefit or personal inclination.
  • He told the truth not to gain favor, but to act from the categorical imperative.

Variants and Related Words

• Categorical (adj): Unqualified, absolute, and unconditional. (e.g., ).
• Imperative (noun): A command or an essential principle. (e.g., ).
• Hypothetical Imperative (noun): A moral principle in Kantian philosophy that commands an action as a means to achieve a specific desired end (e.g., "If you want X, you must do Y"). It is contrasted with the unconditional categorical imperative.

Synonyms

• Moral law: A principle defining right and wrong behavior.
• Unconditional command: An absolute obligation.
• Universal maxim: A principle intended to be applied to everyone.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "The test of universalizability": A phrase describing the core method of the categorical imperative, which asks if the principle behind one's action could be consistently willed as a law for all rational beings.
  • Before acting, he applied the test of universalizability central to the categorical imperative.

Noun

1. the moral principle that behavior should be determined by duty