The categorical imperative is a list of commands that expresses our duties that we are required to follow. Contradiction of Nature: This is when something is self-contradictory, eg 'only keep promises when it's convenient to do so.' Select one: a. Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative explained. Dutiful actions are caused by reason and will. There are 2 contradictions. The categorical imperative is not subject to any special conditions and is therefore still valid whatever the circumstances. A Categorical Imperative can be universalised (ie applied to everyone without exception). You must pay your taxes b. Perfect duties are those that branch […] The Categorical Imperative. For morality to work it must issue commands. One ought not to steal books from the library. There are two types of imperative, namely, hypothetical and categorical imperative. The Categorical Imperative, which comes from sixteenth century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, is an ethical orientation that holds that one’s actions should be undertaken as if s/he had the power to make them universally applicable. If you want to go to medical school, you must study biology c. Even if you want, you can’t steal it d. All dogs go to heaven Your answer is correct. KANT'S EXAMPLES OF THE CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE 65 As not infrequently happens, Kant expresses himself more clearly in the corresponding passage in the Critique of Practical Reason. A maxim (rule) cannot be universalised if it is contradictory. Ethical Orientations: Categorical Imperative. What is the categorical imperative? The correct answer is: Even if you want, you can’t steal it With the supreme principle of morality, there is a distinction between perfect and imperfect duties. For example, one may say “Don’t cheat” or “You have to fulfill your promises”. The categorical imperative is an idea that the philosopher Immanuel Kant had about ethics.Kant said that an "imperative" is something that a person must do. Another example I found through research is something that happened with General Motors under Jose Lopez. Hypothetical imperatives function as the antithesis of categorical imperatives. First, as we know, an imperative is a command. For example: if a person wants to stop being thirsty, it is imperative that they have a drink. The Categorical Imperative does not refer to one specific ethical command or rule that people must follow; rather, it is a criterion for the derivation and evaluation of ethical maxims to direct your behavior. Examples of more specific categorical imperatives: One ought not to make a lying promise. The best example of a categorical imperative is the proverbial golden rule which states: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The concepts of good will, moral duty, summum bonnum and the five rules of Kant's universal maxims alongside a brief discussion on how Kant's theory could be applied to the modern ethical issue of genetic engineering. In Kant, only the categorical imperative is moral. In Section 2, Kant gives four famous examples of The CI in action: 1. Kant said an imperative is "categorical," when it is true at all times, and in all situations. Which is the best example of a Categorical Imperative? They are actions that are ethically defensible based on certain mutable factors such as desire or temporary circumstances. There are none. The Categorical Imperative = I ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law. He ripped up long standing contracts, ended many relationships, and demanded lower prices in order to cut costs for the company. 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