Objective Imperatives: An Exploration of Kant's Moral Philosophy

Kant believed that the moral law was an objective imperative with prescriptive force, not derived from any other source. Objective imperatives are based on rationality, not universality, and are widely accepted as a highly defensible view.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Kant regarded the moral law as an independent, objective imperative, possessing its own inherent authority. Alongside other principles of pure reason, such as logic and mathematics, it exerts a prescriptive force. Objective imperatives do not rely on external sources like societal consensus or divine will for their legitimacy. In his book Objective Imperatives, Ralph C. S. Walker argues that this perspective is highly defensible. Kant's Categorical Imperative, when properly understood, holds significant validity. Rationality, rather than universality, serves as the fundamental principle, although it acts as an approximate test. Kant occasionally presents the matter in a flawed manner, leading to misunderstandings that often arise against him. It may seem that a morality that provides an objective imperative contradicts Kant's commitment to determinism. However, Walker contends that this appearance is deceptive.

Weight: 384g
Dimension: 146 x 223 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192857064