Noun
(ethics) A practice, policy, or state of affairs which is required and justified by the fact that it is morally right.
(ethics) An ethical principle or rule which requires and justifies a practice, policy, or state of affairs.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgThe security of Israel is a moral imperative for all free peoples. Henry Kissinger
All the reasons which made the initiation of physical force evil, make the retaliatory use of physical force a moral imperative. Ayn Rand
Universal education is not only a moral imperative but an economic necessity, to pave the way toward making many more nations self-sufficient and self-sustaining. Desmond Tutu
If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is the endeavor alone, whether successful or not, provided the effort is honorable and failure memorable. E. O. Wilson
Selfishness is the bedrock on which all moral behavior starts and it can be immoral only when it conflicts with a higher moral imperative. Robert A. Heinlein
The moral imperative to make big changes is inescapable...that what we take for granted may not be here for our children. Al Gore