Which concept asserts that moral duties apply to everyone and override self-interest?

• A. Categorical Imperatives
• B. Hypothetical Imperatives
• C. Moral Luck
• D. Situational Ethics

Answer: (A)

Moral duties that apply to everyone and override self-interest are captured by the idea of the categorical imperative. In Kantian ethics, a categorical imperative is an unconditional command: you should act in a way that you could will to become a universal law, and you should act from duty rather than from personal gain. This binding on all rational beings means the obligation holds regardless of what you personally want or the specific circumstances, so it overrides self-interest.

For example, lying is not permitted under a categorical imperative because the maxim “tell a lie to get out of trouble” could not be universalized without destroying trust; if everyone lied, promises would lose their meaning, and the act of lying wouldn’t achieve its supposed benefit. So the duty not to lie stands independent of any individual desire to avoid trouble.

The other concepts don’t carry the same universal, unconditional force. Hypothetical imperatives depend on a desired end (if you want X, you should do Y), so they aren’t universal duties. Moral luck concerns how outcomes influence moral judgment, and situational ethics emphasizes context in moral decision-making—neither asserts duties that apply to everyone in an unconditional way.