In Kantian ethics, a moral obligation that allows no exceptions and must be fulfilled completely in every relevant situation. Duties that admit no discretion in their application, like not lying or not breaking promises.
From Latin 'perfectus' (completed, finished) and duty. Kant used this term to describe duties that are complete and allow no exceptions, contrasting them with imperfect duties.
Perfect duties are like moral absolutes with no wiggle room—they're 'perfect' not because they're better than imperfect duties, but because they're complete and unchanging. No matter the situation, you can't make exceptions for yourself.
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