Universal principles of right and wrong that govern moral behavior, often conceived as objective and binding on all rational beings. In Kant's philosophy, these are derived through reason rather than emotion or tradition.
From Latin 'moralis' (relating to customs/character) and 'lex/legis' (law). The concept evolved from ancient ideas of natural law to Kant's rational foundation for ethics.
Think of moral law as the 'operating system' of ethics—the basic code that should run in the background of every moral decision. Unlike human laws that vary by culture, moral law claims to be the same everywhere because it comes from reason itself.
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