Denver’s Philosophies

      The categorical imperative is a well-known and well-discussed part of philosophy, with many considering it to be an impressively done moral theory. However, this is not to say that the theory comes without its problems. Many philosophers throughout the 20th century found fault with Kant's categorical imperative.     One of the perhaps simplest objections is of the nature of the categorical imperative. The categorical imperative explains that moral actions should be done out of moral duty, but many feel that to only perform moral actions according to duty is a no better option than to perform moral actions out of appeal to emotion or sympathy, as it leads to the question of whether there can even be a value placed upon the action if we merely follow rules on how to act rather than acting out of our good-natured desires. However, this can alternatively be considered a good thing. To act our of our desires or emotions can lead to a biased action or an action ...

     In the early modern period of western philosophy, one of the most important philosophers of the time was the man Immanuel Kant. Kant introduced a plurality of different ideas, but one of his most prominent theories actively taught today is his ethical theory, the categorical imperative.      The categorical imperative is considered in moral philosophy to be a deontological theory, meaning that the consequences of moral decisions are irrelevant in the rightness or wrongness of the action, and only the fulfillment of our moral duty constitutes an act as morally right or morally wrong. The categorical imperative also disregards the desires or circumstances of the individual or individuals involved.       A large underlying part of the categorical imperative is the idea of respect and fairness. This is seen in the universalizability principle, the first formulation of Kant's categorical imperatives. The universalizability principle defi...