Kant and the Theory and Practice of International Right

Kant and the Theory and Practice of International Right PDF

Author: Georg Cavallar

Publisher: University of Wales Press

Published: 2020-03-01

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1786835533

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This book argues that Kant’s theory of international relations should be interpreted as an attempt to apply the principles of reason to history in general, and in particular to political conditions of the late eighteenth century. It demonstrates how Kant attempts to mediate between a priori theory and practice, and how this works in the field of international law and international relations. Kant appreciates how the precepts of theory have to be tested against the facts, before the theory is enriched to deal with the complexities of their application. In the central chapters of this book, the starting points are apparent contradictions in Kant’s writings; assuming that Kant is a systematic and profound thinker, Cavallar seeks to use these contradictions to discover Kant’s ‘deep structure’, a dynamic and evolutionary theory that tries to anticipate a world where the idea of international justice might be more fully realized.

Kantian Theory and Human Rights

Kantian Theory and Human Rights PDF

Author: Andreas Follesdal

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1135079315

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Human rights and the courts and tribunals that protect them are increasingly part of our moral, legal, and political circumstances. The growing salience of human rights has recently brought the question of their philosophical foundation to the foreground. Theorists of human rights often assume that their ideal can be traced to the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and his view of humans as ends in themselves. Yet, few have attempted to explore exactly how human rights should be understood in a Kantian framework. The scholars in this book have gathered to fill this gap. At the center of Kant’s theory of rights is a view of freedom as independence from domination. The chapters explore the significance of this theory for the nature of human rights, their justification, and the legitimacy of international human rights courts.

On the Old Saw

On the Old Saw PDF

Author: Immanuel Kant

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 1974-03

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 0812210581

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In this famous essay, first published in 1793, Kant considers the alleged conflict between theory and practice in the conduct of human affairs in three widening contexts: those of the common person faced with a moral decision, of the politician and the citizen concerned with the extent and limits of political obligation, and, finally, of the citizen of the world whose actions have a bearing on war and peace among nations. Unlike other animals, Kant reminds us, people must decide how they will live their lives. They therefore ask for a guide to action, a set of principles—a theory. From the outset, Kant rejects the ancient claim that the practical possibilities of action cannot always be reconciled with moral demands. He offers his own moral theory, a theory starting out from the principle of the right as an unequivocal guide to action. In partial disagreement with the rival theories of Hobbes and Locke, he proposes that the only condition under which the individual can achieve true destiny as a person and a member of the human race is the civil state. Such a state can be secured only by law. Although "from such crooked wood as man is made of, nothing perfectly straight can be built," only the rule of law can bring about a stable society. Last, Kant turns to the relation between theory and practice in international relations. "Nowhere," he writes, "does human nature appear less lovable than in the relation of whole nations to each other." But to hope for world peace on the basis of "the so-called balance of power is a mere chimera." There is no other remedy to international lawlessness and war than an international coercive law, and such law can grow only out of sound theory. "I put my trust in theory. At the same time, I trust in the nature of things, and also take account of human nature, which I cannot, or will not, consider so steeped in evil that in the end reason should not triumph."

Kant’s Political Theory

Kant’s Political Theory PDF

Author: Elisabeth Ellis

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2015-06-12

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 0271059869

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Past interpreters of Kant’s thought seldom viewed his writings on politics as having much importance, especially in comparison with his writings on ethics, which (along with his major works, such as the Critique of Pure Reason) received the lion’s share of attention. But in recent years a new generation of scholars has revived interest in what Kant had to say about politics. From a position of engagement with today’s most pressing questions, this volume of essays offers a comprehensive introduction to Kant’s often misunderstood political thought. Covering the full range of sources of Kant’s political theory—including not only the Doctrine of Right, the Critiques, and the political essays but also Kant’s lectures and minor writings—the volume’s distinguished contributors demonstrate that Kant’s philosophy offers compelling positions that continue to inspire the best thinking on politics today. Aside from the editor, the contributors are Michaele Ferguson, Louis-Philippe Hodgson, Ian Hunter, John Christian Laursen, Mika LaVaque-Manty, Onora O’Neill, Thomas W. Pogge, Arthur Ripstein, and Robert S. Taylor.

On the Old Saw

On the Old Saw PDF

Author: Immanuel Kant

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2013-07-26

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 0812209494

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In this famous essay, first published in 1793, Kant considers the alleged conflict between theory and practice in the conduct of human affairs in three widening contexts: those of the common person faced with a moral decision, of the politician and the citizen concerned with the extent and limits of political obligation, and, finally, of the citizen of the world whose actions have a bearing on war and peace among nations. Unlike other animals, Kant reminds us, people must decide how they will live their lives. They therefore ask for a guide to action, a set of principles—a theory. From the outset, Kant rejects the ancient claim that the practical possibilities of action cannot always be reconciled with moral demands. He offers his own moral theory, a theory starting out from the principle of the right as an unequivocal guide to action. In partial disagreement with the rival theories of Hobbes and Locke, he proposes that the only condition under which the individual can achieve true destiny as a person and a member of the human race is the civil state. Such a state can be secured only by law. Although "from such crooked wood as man is made of, nothing perfectly straight can be built," only the rule of law can bring about a stable society. Last, Kant turns to the relation between theory and practice in international relations. "Nowhere," he writes, "does human nature appear less lovable than in the relation of whole nations to each other." But to hope for world peace on the basis of "the so-called balance of power is a mere chimera." There is no other remedy to international lawlessness and war than an international coercive law, and such law can grow only out of sound theory. "I put my trust in theory. At the same time, I trust in the nature of things, and also take account of human nature, which I cannot, or will not, consider so steeped in evil that in the end reason should not triumph."

Kant's Politics in Context

Kant's Politics in Context PDF

Author: Reidar Maliks

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2014-09-11

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0191611999

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Kant's Politics in Context is the first comprehensive contextual study of Kant's legal and political philosophy. It gives an account of the development of his thought before, during, and after the French revolution. Reidar Maliks argues that Kant provided a philosophical defence of the revolution's republican ideals while aiming to avoid the twin dangers of anarchy and despotism. Central to this was a concept of equal freedom, constituted by legal rights and duties within a state. The close connection between freedom and the rule of law accounts for the centrality of the state in Kants thought. That Kant idealized the public sphere is well known, but that he intentionally developed his own philosophy in polemical essays and pamphlets aimed for a wide audience has not been fully appreciated. Maliks shows how our understanding of Kant's political philosophy can be enriched through paying attention to the discussions he sparked during the 1790swhere radical followers including Fichte, Erhard, and Bergk clashed with conservative critics such as Rehberg, Möser, and Gentz. This book provides fresh knowledge about a foundational moment for modern political thought and offers a new perspective on Kant's central political concepts, including freedom, rights, citizenship, revolution, and war.

Kant, Global Politics and Cosmopolitan Law

Kant, Global Politics and Cosmopolitan Law PDF

Author: Claudio Corradetti

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-12-13

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9781032236810

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This book argues that to understand the complexities of our current legal-institutional arrangements, we first need an insight into Kant's global politics, and highlights the potential fruitfulness of Kant's cosmopolitan thought for contemporary political thinking.

The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy

The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy PDF

Author: Paul Guyer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2006-01-30

Total Pages: 760

ISBN-13: 1139827030

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The philosophy of Immanuel Kant is the watershed of modern thought, which irrevocably changed the landscape of the field and prepared the way for all the significant philosophical movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This 2006 volume, which complements The Cambridge Companion to Kant, covers every aspect of Kant's philosophy, with a particular focus on his moral and political philosophy. It also provides detailed coverage of Kant's historical context and of the enormous impact and influence that his work has had on the subsequent history of philosophy. The bibliography also offers extensive and organized coverage of both classical and recent books on Kant. This volume thus provides the broadest and deepest introduction currently available on Kant and his place in modern philosophy, making accessible the philosophical enterprise of Kant to those coming to his work for the first time.

Kant and Cosmopolitanism

Kant and Cosmopolitanism PDF

Author: Pauline Kleingeld

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-11-10

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1139504266

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This is the first comprehensive account of Kant's cosmopolitanism, highlighting its moral, political, legal, economic, cultural and psychological aspects. Contrasting Kant's views with those of his German contemporaries and relating them to current debates, Pauline Kleingeld sheds new light on texts that have been hitherto neglected or underestimated. In clear and carefully argued discussions, she shows that Kant's philosophical cosmopolitanism underwent a radical transformation in the mid 1790s and that the resulting theory is philosophically stronger than is usually thought. Using the work of figures such as Fichte, Cloots, Forster, Hegewisch, Wieland and Novalis, Kleingeld analyses Kant's arguments regarding the relationship between cosmopolitanism and patriotism, the importance of states, the ideal of an international federation, cultural pluralism, race, global economic justice and the psychological feasibility of the cosmopolitan ideal. In doing so, she reveals a broad spectrum of positions in cosmopolitan theory that are relevant to current discussions of cosmopolitanism.