Question

Hypothetical imperatives are a. Complicated philosophical constructs seeking to arrive at moral goal. b. Actions all people should take to arrive at the same goal. O c. Like suggesting we should use what works to arrive at a goal. O d. Actions that, in theory, should always be taken given certain circumstances

Answer 1

The correct option is C) like suggesting we should use what works to arrive at a goal.

Hypothetical imperative, in the ethics of the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, a rule of conduct that is understood to apply to an individual only if he or she desires a certain end and has chosen (willed) to act on that desire. Although hypothetical imperatives may be expressed in various ways, their basic logical form is: “If you desire X (or not X), you should (or should not) do Y.” The conduct urged in a hypothetical imperative may be the same as or different from that commanded by a conventional moral law. For example: “If you want to be trusted, you should always tell the truth”; “If you want to become rich, you should steal whenever you can get away with it”; and “If you want to avoid heartburn, you should not eat capsaicin.” Hypothetical imperatives are contrasted with “categorical” imperatives, which are rules of conduct that by their form “Do (or do not do) Y” are understood to apply to all individuals, no matter what their desires.