Kant's Categorical Imperative: Ethical Theory

I believe Kant’s concept of categorical imperative holds merit as an ethical theory. The idea that one should take an action only if they believe it can be accepted as a universal law by everyone has strength to it as an ethical code, because it, to me, is very similar to the golden rule that one should treat other as they wished to be treated. In order for an action to be morally correct and right, it is necessary that it can be said that it just regardless of whom it is taken against, and that it be can recognized as such even if its subject is one’s self. Because of this, the categorical imperative holds merit to me, because before one takes an action, it is important, from a moral standpoint, for an individual to determine whether or not