PERPETUAL PEACE BY IMMANUEL KANT

Perpetual Peace by Immanuel Kant

Perpetual Peace by Immanuel Kant

Introduction

The term perpetual peace is introduced by a German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), and his 1795 essay titled “To (wards) Eternal Peace: A Philosophical Sketch”. The perpetual peace refers to both, a type of enduring peace and legal state that Kant thought should and could be attained among existing European states, and potentially spread across the globe, and a process or logic by which that lasting peace might be attained. Kant's conception of perpetual peace has been remarkably influential: within academia as the basis of contemporary democratic peace theory, and outside academia as a constant reference point for projects of international institution building, such as the League of Nations, the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU).

In this paper, we will discuss the theory of human nature as proposed by Kant and how did it lead to the development of perpetual peace.

Kant's theory of Human Nature

In Kant thoughts, there is such a thing as human nature, namely a set of (basically biological) characteristics that is shared by all normal members of our species, and he allowed as a real possibility that there may be other species of rational beings elsewhere in the universe with a different biology. Besides, having a biological nature as all animal species do, we are distinctively rational. However, Kant's conception of rationality is rich and deep; we are not merely instrumentally rational in choosing means to achieve our end. In fact, we are substantively rational in our ability to deliberate about which ends to pursue and our freedom to determine our ends on a rational basis. Therefore, Kant agrees with existentialists who insist that we have an inescapable freedom to choose, but he would certainly dissent from the view that our fundamental choices are arbitrary, beyond all rational debate (Guyer 2006, 89).

Kant recognizes that we are ineradicably social beings (indeed, that is part of our biological nature). In general, the view of human nature by Kant is that we are influenced very strongly by our biology, our upbringing and our culture, but not determined by them. Whether that combination can be made consistent is of course a large question for Kant and for us all.

Kant's Idea of Perpetual Peace led from human nature

We commonly believe that peace is simply a kind of interlude between two states which are states of war. They say "go, we made ??peace," but the conflict soon returns, with the need to yet again to "make" peace, as if peace should always be established and that the natural state of the relationship was necessarily, the war. In terms of political philosophy, Kant has no exception to this common opinion, he also admits that peace must be established, but unlike common sense, he sees a long term project. But to achieve what? Kant has recognized that for peace to be perpetually present, it is man who must be changed. But the truth is that human nature is inherently ...