Kant on Global Politics

The global order as we knew it no longer exists in principle. For one reason, traditionally global order is conceived territorially, but an important aspect of the current globalization process is precisely deterritorialization. (E.g., Ruggie 1993 and Scholte 2000.) But other features, too, seem to challenge our traditional views of global politics: increased social interconnectedness, increased speed of social interactions, the likelihood that similarly significant changes will emerge for some time to come, and that these will be complex changes. (For a general overview, see Scheuerman 2018.) What will the new order be, what principles of its construction should we consider, and what factors will determine the future shape of global relations? Kant, using slightly different terminology, wrote quite a lot on this subject. Are we at the point of regression, as the course of universal history described in 'Idea for a universal history with a cosmopolitan aim' (1784) suggests? On what principles should we construct peace after conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine or those described in 'Towards perpetual peace' (1795)? Does liberal democracy rightly insist on respect for state sovereignty and the right to self-determination, as described in the Metaphysics of Morals (1797)? The threads here can be multiplied. This Section aims to cover the broad topic of the new global order emerging before our eyes. What are its theoretical assumptions? What elements should be taken into account? We will try to answer these questions by addressing the following issues: ▪️ Global order as cosmopolitan order. What is the subject of history: the state, or humanity? Is the human race capable of collectively directing its actions to a common (and good) goal? Can humanity begin to undertake consolidated work to maintain global order? ▪️ The problem of climate change is a global problem for humanity. Increasingly visible climate change confirms Kant's thesis that 'the great artist nature' is forcing us to take consolidated, global action for the sustainability of our development. What are the dangers of this, and are we in a position to conduct effective actions to prevent the impending catastrophe? ▪️ Is liberal democracy the republic prophesied by Kant? Is the democratic system to be the last word of universal history? Was the spread of this very system what Kant had in mind? And are republican states the future of history? ▪️ Is a world federation of states possible? Do the concerted actions of the Western democracies foreshadow the future shape of the global order operating under the so-called world republic? Can the model of international order achieved in the Atlantic space be effectively applied in other parts of the globe? ▪️ Kant envisaged some solutions to the problems of poverty and inequality at state level; would similar solutions be appropriate at global level and, if not, what alternative could be found within the framework of the Kantian philosophy? More generally, would Kant’s political thought include the conceptual resources for a global theory of distributive justice? ▪️ Given some of his comments on women and race, should Kant’s view of identity politics be relegated to the dustbin of political philosophy and, if so, how is this compatible with the contemporary relevance of Kant’s philosophy for other important issues of current concern? Are there ways in which Kant’s account can be shown to be less parochial than it is sometimes presented? Bibliography: ▪️ I. Kant, Idea for a universal history with a cosmopolitan aim (1784) ▪️ I. Kant, Towards perpetual peace (1795) ▪️ I. Kant, Metaphysics of Morals (1797) ▪️ Ruggie, J. G. (1993) 'Territoriality and Beyond: Problematizing Modernity in International Relations', in International Organization 47: 139–74. ▪️ Scheuerman, W. (2018) “Globalization”, in E. N. Zalta (ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2018/entries/globalization/ ▪️ Scholte, J. A. (2000) Globalization: A Critical Introduction. New York: St. Martin’s