Meaning & use
hypothetical imperative
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalspecialist
In philosophy, a rule that says what you should do if you want to achieve a certain goal, not a moral duty that applies to everyone.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a hypothetical imperative' or 'hypothetical imperatives'.
Patterns
- a hypothetical imperative to do something
- the hypothetical imperative that ...
If you want to pass the exam, you should study hard — that is a hypothetical imperative.
Kant contrasted the hypothetical imperative with the categorical imperative, which commands unconditionally.
The advice 'take an umbrella if you don't want to get wet' is a hypothetical imperative.
Word forms
| plural | hypothetical imperatives |
|---|
Common combinations
- a hypothetical imperative to
- There is a hypothetical imperative to save money if you want to retire early.
- the hypothetical imperative that
- The hypothetical imperative that you should exercise if you want to be healthy is widely accepted.
- contrast with the categorical imperative
- Philosophers often contrast the hypothetical imperative with the categorical imperative.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conditional command
- A general phrase that means a command depending on a condition; it is not the technical Kantian term.
Opposites
Word family
- hypothetical adjective
- Based on a possible situation rather than a real one.
- imperative noun
- A command or an essential rule.
Commonly confused: hypothetical imperative or categorical imperative?
hypothetical imperative vs categorical imperative
A categorical imperative is an unconditional moral duty that applies to everyone, while a hypothetical imperative depends on what you want to achieve.
Practice
Which sentence best illustrates a hypothetical imperative?
Choose one answer.
A hypothetical imperative is conditional: it tells you what to do if you want a certain outcome. The other options are unconditional moral commands (categorical imperatives).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hypothetical imperative”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.