Did kant think that moral laws were categoric or hypothetical, and what do they both mean?
Kant explains the nature of moral commands using his distinction between categorical imperatives and hypothetical imperatives. An imperative is a command. A hypothetical imperative is a command that applies if you want to attain a particular outcome. The following conditional sentence expresses a hypothetical imperative: “If you want to see the new Star Wars movie on opening day in San Jose, then you must stand in line for hours.” Must you obey this imperative? Must you stand in line for hours? Only if you have the relevant desire to see the new Star Wars movie on opening day in San Jose. If you don’t care, you can ignore the imperative. Kant says moral imperatives are never conditional. They are never hypothetical. For Kant, moral imperatives are always categorical, i.e., absolutely binding regardless of personal interest or desire. What you care about simply doesn’t matter. Your duty is your duty, and you must do it whether or not you want to. (That’s why a Good Will is so vital for
