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Kantian Categorical Imperative: Its Implication In Nigerian Ethical Order
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1.3 THE IMPERATIVE
The
relation of the objective principle or universal law to a human will is
that of constraint. The conception of such a relation in so far as it
is obligatory to such a will is a command and the formula of such a
command is what Kant called an imperative. Thus, Paton writes;
The
conception of an objective principles, in so far as it is necessitating
for a will is a command (of reason) and the formula of this command is
called Imperative.9
The imperative for Kant is expressed by an
“ought†in which case, the law of reason proposes to the will what is to
be done by use of obligation.
Kant distinguishes the two main types
of imperatives – the hypothetical and the categorical imperative.
Hypothetical imperative is that which commands an action only as a means
to an end. It says: If you desire X, you ought to do Y. It commands an
action only as a means to an end. Kant further distinguishes the two
types of hypothetical imperative: the technical or imperative of skill
and the pragmatic or counsel of prudence.
The technical imperative
gives a direction to a will which wants to attain a particular end. It
says: you ought to do this if you want to attain the other. According to
Kant, this imperative is more of a counsel on techniques than of a
moral principle. And since it is morally neutral, in the sense that it
can be appreciated to good principle as well as bad one, Kant qualifies
it as being problematic.
Where the end is one that every rational
agent wills by his very nature , the imperatives are assertoric or
pragmatic. Thus for Paton;
The end which every rational agent wills
by his very nature is his own happiness, and an actions enjoined by a
pragmatic imperative are good in the sense of being prudent10.
The
categorical imperative on the other hand commands an action as an end-
and never as a means to an end. It recognizes the intrinsic finality in
human act and thus commands an action as being necessary of itself. It
says; you ought to do X. The imperative is not conditioned by the
hypothesis that some particular end is desired.
According to Kant, he
calls this an apodictic imperative, which is demonstrably or
indisputably true, thus it is the imperative of morality.
With these
principles, Kant lays the foundation to his supreme principle of
morality- The Categorical Imperative, Goodwill, which is a will that
acts for the sake of duty with its unconditional quality an intrinsic
goodness, is the only will that can act in accordance with the dictates
of the unconditioned command- the Categorical Imperative. Duty gives
the necessity of this command as well as its impacts to a finite will,
while imperative gives the formula of this command.
1 J. Adler: Great books of the Western World. Kant(Chicago Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc 1996) p. 256
2 Loc. Cit
3
M.J.Adler; Critique of Practical Reason in Great Books of Western
World, translated by Thomas Kingemill Abboth,( London:Encyclopaedia
Britannica Inc. Chicago,1996),p.338 .
4 H.J. Paton: The Moral Law, (London, Hutchinson publishers, 1972), p 18
5 C .Ekwutosi: Ethical Theories unpublished lectures,( Awka: Pope John Paul II Major Seminary, 2003), p. 8
6 F. Copleston; A History of Philosophy( London, Continuum Publishers Vol. 6 2003) P. 318
7 J. Omoregbe, Ethics; A systematic and Historical Study (Lagos; Joja Educational Research and Publishers Limited 1930,p. 118
8 H. J. Paton: Categorical Imperative (America Chicago University Press 1994) p.80
9 H.J Paton; The Categorical Imperative op cit P. 114
10 H. J. Paton, The Moral Law, Op.cit., P. 27
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