The categorical imperative, Immanuel Kant claimed in his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, was the moral obligation to do the right thing in every circumstance. An introduction to Kantian ethics and philosophy guides class members through the ways Kant applies the categorical imperative to life, and how the strength of our characters can overpower the weaknesses and temptations.

Concepts

philosophers, christianity, morals, immanuel kant

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Assign to learners the night before a lesson on Kant, and have them come to class prepared with notes and questions from their viewing
• Include in a lesson on 18th century philosophers
• Encourage class members to conduct additional research on Kant or another philosopher with whom their views align

Classroom Considerations

• Contains a portion of Eugène Delacroix's painting La Liberté guidant le peuple at 4:56, which famously depicts a topless woman; younger learners may be distracted by the sudden image if they have not seen it before
• Addresses Kant's conflicting views of Christianity and reason

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Animation is engaging
• Focuses on the core themes and tenets of Kant's philosophy

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RH.9-10.2 RH.11-12.2