categorical imperative

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noun
  1. Ethics. the rule of Immanuel Kant that one must do only what one can will that all others should do under similar circumstances.

  2. the unconditional command of conscience.

Origin of categorical imperative

1
First recorded in 1820–30

Words Nearby categorical imperative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use categorical imperative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for categorical imperative

categorical imperative

noun
  1. (in the ethics of Kant) the unconditional moral principle that one's behaviour should accord with universalizable maxims which respect persons as ends in themselves; the obligation to do one's duty for its own sake and not in pursuit of further ends: Compare hypothetical imperative

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