English Explanatory Dictionary

categorical imperative

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A fundamental ethical principle intended as a guide for determining whether any contemplated action is morally right, based on the concept that an action is good or bad in and of itself regardless of what the actor's aims or preferences are.

Word forms

categorical imperative categorical imperatives

Etymology

From German kategorischer Imperativ.

Related words

deontology golden rule hypothetical imperative moral imperative Ten Commandments
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