categorical imperatives

A form of categorical imperative — 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.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of categorical imperative

    According to these Categorical Imperatives, certain actions are allowed or disallowed as being morally possible or impossible […].

    2002, Immanuel Kant, W. Hastie (translator), The Metaphysics of Morals, in The Philosophy of Law: An Exposition of the Fundamental Principles of Jurisprudence, page 29 (originally published in 1797)
    1 more example

    Categorical imperatives do not typically contain an 'if. They tell you what to do unconditionally. They may nevertheless be defended by reasons.

    2001, Roger Scruton, Christopher Janaway, German Philosophers: Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, page 75
Cite this entry
APA

categorical imperatives. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/categorical%20imperatives

MLA

“categorical imperatives.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/categorical%20imperatives. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “categorical imperatives,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/categorical%20imperatives.

Source: categorical imperatives on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.