Categorical imperative
The categorical imperative is Kant's test for whether an action is morally permitted. One version says to act only according to a rule you could will to become a universal law that everyone follows. Another says to treat people, yourself included, always as ends in themselves and never merely as a means to something else. Unlike a hypothetical imperative, which applies only if you want a certain outcome, the categorical imperative applies unconditionally.
Why it matters
It is the foundation of deontological ethics: the view that some actions are right or wrong because of what they are, not because of their results.
Where it comes up
Read about Categorical imperative on Wikipedia
Sources
- Immanuel Kant Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Kant Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
