Universalizable

Universalizable is an adjective used in ethics and philosophy to describe a rule, principle, or action that could be adopted as a universal law without contradiction. It is central to Kantian ethics, where moral evaluation rests on the capacity of a maxim to be universalized.

In Kant’s framework, the test is the Formula of Universal Law: act only according to maxims you could will to become universal laws. If universalizing a maxim would make its own aim impossible or undermine the concept of the principle, the action is impermissible.

Examples help illustrate: lying to obtain a loan would be incoherent if everyone did it, because trust in promises would collapse, so the maxim cannot be universalized. Making false promises is another classic case: if everyone made false promises, the institution of promising would lose its force. By contrast, behaving in a way that could be universalized, such as keeping genuine promises or taking actions that respect others, aligns with moral permissibility.

The notion has influence beyond Kant, often invoked in discussions of moral reasoning and rule formulation. Critics argue that universalizability can be too rigid, difficult to apply to complex or conflicting duties, or insufficient to settle moral questions on its own. Nevertheless, it remains a foundational concept for assessing whether a maxim could be harmonized with rational, universalizable norms.

Etymology: from Latin universalis, meaning for all or general.