Flashcards
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Hypothetical imperative
A conditional command: “If you want X, do Y.” It binds only as long as you will the end — unlike the categorical imperative.
Hypothetical imperatives are prescriptions of means-end rationality: they say what to do in order to reach a presupposed goal — from a craftsman's rule to counsels of prudence. Whoever gives up the end is released from the prescription.
For Kant, this is exactly what separates them from morality: moral demands hold unconditionally, not merely on the assumption of particular desires or aims. That is why the supreme principle of ethics cannot be a hypothetical imperative but only a categorical one.
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Where it appears
- Ethics — The categorical imperative
- Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals — Structure & key ideas
- FAQ