Final answer:
True, Kant uses the term 'maxim' to refer to a general rule that guides action, which should be able to become a universal law according to his categorical imperative.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, Immanuel Kant does use the term "maxim" to refer to a general rule that guides how we act. Kant's understanding of ethical behavior is deeply rooted in the idea of these maxims, which should be universally applicable to all rational beings. According to Kant, a maxim is a subjective principle of volition, the principle upon which one decides to act. He posits that one should act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. This is the foundational concept of Kant's deontological ethics, where the morality of an action is judged based on the action's adherence to a rule or rules, referred to as the categorical imperative.
The categorical imperative is Kant's proposed way of evaluating the moral content of our actions. If a maxim cannot be universalized, meaning that it cannot be consistently willed that everyone should act according to it, then it fails this test of moral law and should not be acted upon. For instance, Kant argues that the maxim of lying whenever it benefits you would not be universalizable, because if everyone were to lie, trust would disintegrate and the purpose of lying—to be believed—would be undermined.
Furthermore, Kant believes that moral laws, or maxims, are discernible through reason, independent of religion or culture. We utilize our rational capacities to determine what constitutes moral behavior, hence establishing our actions in accordance with principles of universalizability and human dignity.