WHAT IS THE KANTIAN CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE? - PHILOSOPHY - 2025

The categorical imperative of Kant's ethics is a supreme principle of morality that claims to be an autonomous commandment, independent of any religion and ideology, self-sufficient, universal, and capable of protecting human behavior.

It was first proposed by Immanuel Kant in his book Foundations of the metaphysics of customs published in 1785. In it he maintains that the foundation of the categorical imperative principle is implicit in the moral practices and reasoning of all individuals, and through this Consequently, moral duties can be identified unconditionally.

It is essentially a principle of free will and the autonomy of the will, that is, as free wills we must be governed by this principle. He proposes that we act according to the "maxims" (moral norms that determine what should or should not be done) that we may personally want to be universal laws.

Maxims are simply the reasons why someone acts and makes decisions according to morality, but the role of the categorical imperative is to help us determine whether those reasons that drive us to act or decide are good or bad.

It should be taken into account that when speaking of moral imperatives (orders, desires, impositions), specifically in the “categorical” nature, it is considered intrinsic that they must be affirmed or denied in their entirety, there cannot be conditions or average terms, Either it is accepted as is or it is not. The object or purpose of the imperative must have an end in itself.

Rational norms can be established in two ways:

• The first establishes a necessary behavior to achieve a certain end and it is here that we find the form of the hypothetical imperative
• On the other hand we find the prescription of a necessary conduct established as absolute and unconditional, which is what bears the name of categorical imperative.

Immanuel Kant

He was born in Königsberg, Prussia (today Kaliningrad in Russia) on April 22, 1724 and died on February 12, 1804. He was one of the most important philosophers in Europe and even, according to some, is the most important philosopher.

In his last years of life, he published a series of important works in his tireless commitment to human freedom, he collaborated on the history of humanity and philosophy with his excellent contributions on ethics, dignity of man, moral conceptions or rationality.

One of his most outstanding writings was Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinenVernunft) where he investigates the very structure of reason.

Origin of the concept

According to Kant, the creator of this principle, the bases of human morality must be based on one's own reason and not simply on a divine authority and from this derive the other human obligations.

This precept promotes and ensures that the human being must be able to determine the moral maxims that must be followed categorically regardless of any religion or ideology.

Through the categorical imperative, unconditional demands are established, as opposed to the hypothetical imperative, which makes conditional demands.

Hypothetical imperative

A hypothetical imperative is one that expresses a duty conditioned to compliance or not a certain circumstance, under the condition of a hypothesis.

It requires us to do or not do a certain action, but under the assumption of some condition. It is instrumental and makes us understand that if we want something we must make it possible and provide the means for that end to be accomplished.

On the other hand, the categorical imperative has the characteristic of being unconditional and absolute, without exceptions or the need for external justification.

For example: if you decide that your goal is to learn to play piano, the hypothetical imperative requires you to do everything necessary to learn and fulfill your goal and to achieve that then a solution is to take piano lessons.

But, in case I no longer want to learn to play piano because I wasn't so interested in it after all, the imperative no longer requires me to take piano lessons.

This principle establishes a contingent course of action under the assumption that the person has an end or a goal and wants to achieve it, but in the event that the interest is no longer held, there is no obligation or duty.

It is entirely rational, when someone wants to achieve their goals, they do everything possible to achieve their goals, unlike someone irrational.

Formulations of Kant's categorical imperative

Kant established five formulations referring to the categorical imperative, which are complementary to each other and not alternative, that is, they are linked and linked together to form a consistent moral system.

- Universal law formula: "Work only in accordance with the maxim by which you can at the same time want it to become universal law."

- Formula of the law of nature: " Act as if the maxim of your action should become by your will the universal law of nature."

- Formula of the end in itself: "Work in such a way that you use humanity both in your own person and in the person of anyone else, always at the same time as an end, never simply as a means."

- Formula of autonomy: "Work in such a way that your will can consider itself as building a universal law by means of its maxim".

- Formula of the kingdom of the ends: "Act as if by means of your maxims you were always a legislating member in a universal realm of ends."

After knowing the formulations that Kant exposes, it can be concluded that this imperative is not adjusted to the actions, but rather to the “maxims” that lead the individual to execute said actions.

Therefore, according to this principle our actions must be adjusted to moral maxims, these will be the guides that will determine what we want for the world.

Universality, freedom, duty and good will

The categorical imperatives carry with them two possibilities: I must comply with a certain moral maximum or not. They must always come from good will, their purpose is to do well and for a better society until it becomes a universal law or of nature.

The categorical imperatives are followed because it is our duty to act in that way, it is self-imposed from our rationality and not through some external instance.

To act out of duty is to do it in such a way that our actions express the true value of humanity, we are free to decide what we want and according to this principle our actions must be unconditionally and genuinely good.

For this principle to be practiced, the will to comply with some maxim must already be present in the individual with motives unrelated to the imperative and this will only be a guide that prescribes the means to achieve them.

Criticisms of Kant's ethics and the categorical imperative

Formalism

It is the most common accusation, argued by Hegel, JS Mill and many other contemporary authors who agree that the categorical imperative is trivial and just a formalism that does not identify principles of duty.

The fact that Kant proposes the demand for universal maxims wants to denote that our fundamental principles will be generic and adaptable to all humanity and there is nothing further from reality.

Culture and many other aspects influence the determination of moral maxims of conduct, in addition to many other approaches that deny the possibility of applying this principle.

Rigorism

It is a criticism referred to the proposal of strict and insensitive norms.

Abstraction

Critics argue that Kant's ethical principles are too abstract to guide any action and therefore his theory cannot be applied as a guide.

Its principles are truly abstract and do not provide useful and feasible instructions to be followed because Kant argues that the application of the principles to certain cases must involve judgment and deliberation.

There is no automatic way to define what actions should or should not be performed and this abstract form was established by Kant in order for the individual to learn to be able to guide decisions without collateral limitations or pre-established rules.

Contradictory grounds for obligation

This criticism is based on the fact that according to various authors, Kant's ethics contains a series of principles that may come into conflict.

Within its theories we do not find negotiations or procedures that solve the cases of contradiction between some relevant principles and obligations.

The possible solution is to find a way through which an action can be carried out that satisfies all the limitations, but there are cases where a consensus cannot be found and that is the problem and critical basis of the multiple foundations of the obligation.

Place of the inclinations

Kant demands to act according to duty but not according to personal inclination and this can raise difficult questions because it may not be a morally worthwhile action.

Lack of explanation of the wrongdoing

Freedom and autonomy in its entirety is contemplated but it does not explain free and imputable but bad action.

References

1. Bowie, Norman (2015). "A Kantian approach to business ethics". Taken from stakeholder.blogs.bucknell.edu.
2. Galisteo, Esteban (2013). "Categorical Imperative of Kant". Taken from laguia2000.com.
3. Rivera Castro, Fabiola (2004). "The Categorical Imperative in the Foundation of the Metaphysics of Customs". University Digital Magazine. Taken from revista.unam.mx.