Term from German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who claimed to derive morality – in the form of an imperative valid for all rational beings – from reason.
The general idea was that I may not act in ways that I cannot, without inconsistency, will that everyone else should act in too.
Suppose that to gain some advantage I make a promise, intending not to keep it: were I to will that everyone may break their promises, I would in effect be willing for the institution of promising to break down; in which case I could not use it as I originally tried to.
The imperative is categorical because not conditional on one’s own desires, like ‘If you want money, work hard’ (an imperative which Kant would call hypothetical). Problems arise in deciding when the categorical imperative does indeed apply, and whether hypothetical imperatives are really imperatives at all.
Also see: deontology
Source:
H J Paton, The Moral Law (1948); standard translation of Kant’s main relevant work
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 The Categorical Imperative: A Study in Kant's Moral Philosophy
- 2.2 Arrows, Structures, and Functors: The Categorical Imperative
- 2.3 Kant's Categorical Imperative
- 2.4 The Form of Practical Knowledge: A Study of the Categorical Imperative
- 2.5 Laws of Freedom: A Study of Kant's Method of Applying the Categorical Imperatives in the Metaphysik Der Sitten
- 2.6 The Categorical Imperative: A Study in Kant's Moral Philosophy, 5th Edition
- 2.7 Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation (Creative Marxism)
- 2.8 Dharma, The Categorical Imperative
- 2.9 The Categorical Imperative of a Confucian Evil Demon in America: A Compilation of Essays in Philosophy
- 2.10 The Categorical Imperative Guidebook
Videos
The Categorical Imperative: A Study in Kant's Moral Philosophy
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Paton, H. J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages - 10/29/1971 (Publication Date) - University of Pennsylvania Press (Publisher)
Arrows, Structures, and Functors: The Categorical Imperative
- Hardcover Book
- Arbib, Michael A. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 185 Pages - 02/01/1975 (Publication Date) - Academic Pr (Publisher)
Kant's Categorical Imperative
- IntroBooks (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages - 12/11/2019 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
The Form of Practical Knowledge: A Study of the Categorical Imperative
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
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- Hardcover Book
Laws of Freedom: A Study of Kant's Method of Applying the Categorical Imperatives in the Metaphysik Der Sitten
- Hardcover Book
- Gregor, M.J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 223 Pages - 10/02/1963 (Publication Date) - Basil Blackwell (Publisher)
The Categorical Imperative: A Study in Kant's Moral Philosophy, 5th Edition
- Hardcover Book
- Paton, H.J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 283 Pages - 10/02/1965 (Publication Date) - Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd. (Publisher)
Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation (Creative Marxism)
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Bill Martin (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 480 Pages - 04/28/2008 (Publication Date) - Open Court (Publisher)
Dharma, The Categorical Imperative
- Hardcover Book
- Ashok Vohra (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 466 Pages - 03/30/2005 (Publication Date) - D.K. Printworld (Publisher)
The Categorical Imperative of a Confucian Evil Demon in America: A Compilation of Essays in Philosophy
- Bowen, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 220 Pages - 04/18/2005 (Publication Date) - iUniverse (Publisher)
The Categorical Imperative Guidebook
- Philosophy
- Dr. Sharon Kaye (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 58 Pages - 10/03/2022 (Publication Date) - Royal Fireworks Press (Publisher)
Last update 2020-06-17. Price and product availability may change.