What was Immanuel Kant's political philosophy?

Immanuel Kant's political philosophy favors a classical republican approach and envisions a world of constitutional republics to achieve lasting peace. Outlined in works like Perpetual Peace and the Doctrine of Right, his political theories have experienced a notable renaissance in English-speaking countries. Kant's broader philosophical system is centered on human reason, morality, and establishing the limits of knowledge.

What we know

• Immanuel Kant's political philosophy favors a classical republican approach. [2]
• In Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch, Kant outlined conditions for ending wars, including the establishment of political communities as constitutional republics. [2]
• Kant extended his classical republican theory in the Doctrine of Right, which is the first part of the Metaphysics of Morals. [2]
• Kant hoped that perpetual peace could be secured through an international federation of republican states and international cooperation. [3]

Still open

• The exact nature of Kant's religious views remains a matter of dispute.

Where to go next

• a case in pointWhat did Kant argue in Perpetual Peace?
• how it workedHow does Kant define categories in his philosophy?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the main goal of critical philosophy?
• whenWhen did Immanuel Kant live and write?
• whereWhere was Immanuel Kant born and based?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a 20th-century revival impact Kant's political theory?Despite being written in the 18th century, Kant's political philosophy enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in English-speaking countries at the end of the 20th century with numerous major studies.

Sources

• [1]political philosophy of Immanuel Kant (Wikidata Q7225058) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Political philosophy of Immanuel Kant · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Immanuel Kant · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Category (Kant) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Critical philosophy · CC BY-SA 4.0