Categorical imperative

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/categorical-imperative

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the philosophical school?Deontological ethics
2. What is the primary text?Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)
3. Why is it called "categorical"?Because it tells us what we must do no matter what we want or what happens, not just when we have a specific goal.
4. How can I check if my action follows the categorical imperative?Think about the rule behind what you want to do and ask if everyone could follow that rule without breaking the idea of the rule itself.

Deontology: An ethical theory that judges the morality of an action based on adherence to rules or duties.
Maxim: The subjective principle or rule that guides an individual's will and action.
Contradiction in Conception: A situation where universalizing a maxim makes the concept itself impossible.
Contradiction in the Will: A situation where universalizing a maxim leads to a state that a rational being could not consistently will.