Kant's "Categorical Imperative"

Paper Summary:

This work deals with Kant's understanding of the basis for moral actions taken from his work entitled "The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals." He believes that there is one criterion for moral obligation which he refers to as the "categorical imperative." A large part of this essay discusses the four ways in which this "categorical imperative" can be formulated.

From the Paper:

"In presenting the one criterion for moral obligation, Immanuel Kant first rejects other moral traditions before his time: among them, the virtue theory, which bases morality on good character traits; and the consequential theory, which bases it on the consequences of actions. In response, he argues that moral actions are based only on a "supreme principle of morality," one that is objective, rational and freely chosen -- which he called the categorical imperative."

More papers on Kant's "Categorical Imperative":

• Essay # 25459 : "Categorical Imperative"
• Term Paper # 120997 : "Kant's Hypothetical/Categorical Imperative"
• Analytical Essay # 128837 : "Kant's Categorical Imperative and Merrill Lynch"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: