Catholic Dictionary
Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
Your Term:
CONDITIONAL MORALITY
A system of morality based on Immanuel Kant's principle of the hypothetical imperative, namely: "If you desire this or that, you must (should or ought to) do such and such." In these cases, the obligation enjoined depends on a person's having the desire in question. From a Catholic perspective, there is an obligation prior to the hypothesis, i.e., making sure that a given desire is itself conformed to the divine law.
