within one tradition of deontology our ethical duty is explained in terms of a principle that the German philosopher Immanuael Kant called the categorical imperative an imperative is a command or duty categorical means that it is without exception our primary duty is according to Kant to act only in those ways in which the maxim of our acts could be made a universal law this is a very abstract way of saying something that is fairly intuitive the maxim of our acts can be thought of as the intention behind our acts. the maxim answers the question what am i doing ?