Ethics and morality are elements that deeply influence our behavior, and about which philosophy and the different sciences that analyze human behavior have tried to reflect and investigate. We limit our behavior in pursuit of the possibility of being able to live with others. Why do we act as we do?

There are many lines of philosophical thought that have raised questions about these issues and have explored the concepts developed to explain them. One of them is that of the categorical imperative of Immanuel Kant , which we will discuss in this article.

Kantian Morality

Before seeing what the categorical imperative is, it is necessary to make a brief commentary on some of the aspects of Kant’s conception of morality. Immanuel Kant was a theologian who was deeply concerned with this subject, at a time of great contrasts between ideological currents with different views on how to behave and direct behavior.

The author considered morality as a rational element, far from empirical elements and based on a universal ethic. For Kant, the moral act is that which is performed as a duty, as an end in itself: the moral act is that in which one acts on the basis of reason, not on the basis of love for oneself or interest. On the contrary, it will not be that which is carried out by chance, with interest or as a means to reach or avoid other elements.

Moral performance is based on good will. The act itself must be seen in its subjective sense to be valued as moral or immoral. The moral act seeks the happiness of others, which in turn allows one’s own by being part of humanity, instead of seeking one’s own to satisfy desires or to escape pain and suffering. To be moral requires being free, in a sense that Kant relates to the possibility of transcending one’s own desires and imperatives in order to achieve transcendence.

With regard to concepts such as good and evil, which are widely linked to morality, Kant considers that acts are not good or bad in themselves but that it depends on the subject who carries them out. In fact, morality is not the act itself but the purpose behind it : he who deviates from the moral laws that govern him, subordinating his universal moral motivations to those of personal interest and his own sensitivity, will be evil, whereas the good is he who follows morality as a universal law in his life and on the basis of it carries out and fulfils his desires on the basis of that morality. A central concept in his concept of morality is the idea of categorical imperative.

Kant’s idea of categorical imperative

Everyone at some point has done or pretended to do the right thing, or felt bad about not doing it. Kant’s concept of categorical imperative is deeply linked to this fact.

A categorical imperative is an act or proposal that is carried out because it is considered necessary, without there being any other reason for it to be carried out than such consideration. These would be the constructions that are carried out in the form of a “must”, without being conditioned by any other consideration, and would be universal and applicable at any time or situation . The imperative is an end in itself and not a means to achieve a given result. For example, we can generally say “I must tell the truth”, “human beings must be supportive”, “I must help others when they are having a hard time” or “others must be respected”.

The categorical imperative need not have an additive sense, but can also be restrictive. In other words, it is not just that we do something, but it can also be based on not doing it or not doing it at all. For example, most people do not steal or harm others because they consider such action to be negative per se.

The categorical imperative is an eminently rational construct , which seeks to treat humanity (understood as quality) as an end and not as a means to achieve something. However, these are imperatives that are difficult to see in real life in this sense, since we are also very subject to our desires and guide our actions based on them.

Categorical imperative and hypothetical imperative

The notion of categorical imperative is based primarily on the fact that something is done by doing it, the act itself being an end and no conditions are attached to it. However, although we can find some exponents of categorical imperative in real life, most of our actions are motivated by aspects different from the very fact of doing them.

For example, we study to pass a test or go shopping for food. I go to class to learn, I work to fulfill my vocation and/or get a salary or we exercise to relax or get in good physical shape.

We are talking about what the same author would consider a hypothetical imperative, a conditioned demand that is employed as a means to an end . This is not a universal proposition but one that is relative to the situation we are facing, and that is the most common type of imperative even when we believe we are doing it as an end in itself.

We must bear in mind that many of the imperatives that govern us can be categorical or hypothetical depending on how they are posed. I can not steal because I think it is wrong or I can not steal because I am afraid of being caught and taken to jail. In this sense, it is not the action itself but the presence or absence of a motive beyond morality that leads to action that will generate that we are faced with one type of imperative or another.

Kantian formulations

Throughout his work, Kant generates different formulations that summarize the moral mandate behind the categorical imperative . Specifically, five large complementary and linked formulas stand out. They are based on the existence of maxims that guide our conduct, these being subjective when they are only valid for the will of the one who possesses them or objective if they are valid for one as well as for the others, having the same value for all regardless of who performs them. The formulations in question are as follows.

  • Formula of the universal law : “Work only according to such a maxim as you may want at the same time as it becomes a universal law”.
  • Formula of the law of nature : “Act as if the maxim of your action should become, by your will, the universal law of nature.
  • Formula of the end in itself : ” Work in such a way that you use humanity, both in your own person and in the person of any other, always with the end in mind at the same time and never just as a means”.
  • Formula of autonomy : “Work as if by means of your maxims you were always a legislating member of a universal kingdom of ends”.

In conclusion, these formulas propose that we act on the basis of universal moral values or that we rationally consider that everyone should follow, self-imposed by our own reason and considering these values an end in themselves. Following these maxims we would act on the basis of our categorical imperatives , seeking the happiness of others and acting morally, in such a way that we would also live doing what is right and obtaining gratification from this fact.

Bibliographic references

  • Echegoyen, J. (1996). History of Philosophy. Volume 2: Medieval and modern philosophy. Edinumen Publishing House
  • Kant, I. (2002). Fundamentals of the metaphysics of customs. Madrid. Alianza Editorial (Original of 1785).
  • Paton, H.J. (1948). Categorical Imperative: A study in Kant’s moral philosophy. Chicago. University of Chicago Press.