A
hypothetical imperative, in the
philosophy of
Immanuel Kant, is a command that applies only conditionally: if
A, then
B, where
A is a condition or goal, and
B is an action. For example, if you wish to remain healthy,
then you should not eat spoiled food. Thus, a hypothetical imperative is not justified in itself, but as a means to an end; whether it is in force as a command depends on whether the end it helps attain is desired (or required). The opposite of a hypothetical imperative is a
categorical imperative, which is unconditional and an end in itself.
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