Kant and the Theory and Practice of International Right

Author(s) Georg Cavallar

Language: English

Genre(s): History

Series: Political Philosophy Now

  • March 2020 · 288 pages ·216x138mm

  • · Paperback - 9780708315088
  • · Paperback - 9781786835529
  • · eBook - pdf - 9781786835536
  • · eBook - epub - 9781786835543

About The Book

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.

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Mediating Between Pure Reason and Practice
The Contemporary Context: Kant’s Judgement on Frederick’s Enlightened Absolutism
Kantian International Right: Background and Paradigm Shift
Judging War
Does Republicanism Promote Peace?
Non-intervention, Humanitarian Intervention and Failed States
Conflicts in Kant’s Account of the Right to Go to War
The Unjust Enemy
Kant’s Society of Nations: Free Federation or World Republic?
Moving Beyond Nationalism: Constitutional
Patriotism and Cosmopolitan Enthusiasm in Kant
Conclusion: A Theory for our Times
Notes
Bibliography
Index

About the Author(s)

Author(s): Georg Cavallar

Georg Cavallar is Universitätsdozent of Modern History at the Department of History, University of Vienna, Austria; he has published on Kant’s political philosophy, the history of international law, and the philosophy of cosmopolitanism.

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