Final answer:
The statement is true; Kant's Categorical Imperative requires that people obey universal laws derived from reason and that would be accepted and followed by all rational beings.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, the statement about Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative is essentially correct. Unlike hypothetical imperatives, which are conditional and serve to fulfill desires, categorical imperatives are universal laws that we must obey, regardless of our desires or inclinations. Kant's philosophy dictates that these imperatives are generated from reason and that as rational beings, we have a moral duty to follow them.
The universal law formulation of the categorical imperative specifically states: "Act only according to that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law." This formulation challenges us to create maxims or rules for acting that could be applied universally, meaning to all rational beings, without resulting in a contradiction or an undesirable world if everyone were to follow the rule.
Kant's emphasis on the good will and moral duty is exemplified in his principle of universalizability, which is a cornerstone in deontological ethics—the ethical theory focusing on duties and rules. Kant believed that only actions performed from duty have moral worth, and he sought to establish maxims that could be universally accepted and adhered to by all rational agents, which is the essence of his categorical imperative.