Kant on International Trade

Abstract

Whilst the expansion of international trade plays a key role in the justification of cosmopolitan right, Kant is also known for having defended the protectionist policies of states affected by foreign trade such as China and Japan. In assessing these seemingly contradictory positions the critique is divided: some authors see Kant’s cosmopolitanism as articulating one of the most progressive positions on foreign trade compared to the views of his contemporaries, and others as simply one further instance of the imperialistic tendencies embedded in Enlightenment political thought. This panel seeks contributions discussing Kant’s position on international trade, its relationship to cosmopolitan right, the role of trade in Kant’s philosophy of history, Kantian conceptions of exploitation and just relations to indigenous people, Kant’s critique of colonialism and commercial expansion, and the relevance of these topics for contemporary debates on global justice. Papers examining these issues from either a historical or a systematic perspective are welcome.

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