What is categorical imperative?

Answer 1

The categorical imperative is essentially a law or command that everyone is affected by. It is a moral hypothetical that allows a person to distinguish what is "moral".

For example, the classic example of a categorical imperative is if there is a law that "Everyone can murder one another." This is a moral hypothetical that we can tell is immoral because of how murdering one another leads to a very dangerous society. If everyone could murder each other, nobody would be alive in this hypothetical, causing the end of society. As we want society to continue and prosper, this categorical imperative allows us to support the idea that murder is immoral.

Answer 2

Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative is generally summarized as the principle that if a moral rule applies to someone, then it applies to everyone.

Example:

If I believe that homosexuality is immoral, then I must accept the fact that if I engage in a homosexual act, I am immoral as well--or I must abandon my belief.

Answer 3

The maxim 'stealing is permissible' is a self contradiction as if it were universalised, and everyone was stealing everything, property would no longer exist, so it wouldn't be stealing.