Cosmopolitan And Universal Commonwealth

Immanuel Kant's legal philosophy have a profound influence all around the world.The cosmopolitan point of view,which is an important theory of Kant's philosophy of law,pursues the scientific circle with great interest.In several texts and text sections of the end of the eighteenth century,Kant defended a social and historical conception.The essay “Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View” published in 1784 is an important text of the study of his early world citizenship.Kant's problem of consciousness lies in a favorite idea that the ultimate purpose of the human race is to achieve the most perfect civic constitution,which is achieved through the citizens of the world.For this reason,he applies the reflective judgment to the general history,hoping to discover the rational relation from the purposeless nature,thus demonstrating the legitimacy of the world citizenship.It can be seen that “Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View” is the application of the Kantian teleology,which is based on the transcendental anthropology.Kant demonstrated the following historical process in the text,in order to fully and purposefully use the natural capacities.And the process is realized only in the concept of “race”,not in the limited individual.It concerns not only from the natural state into the civil society,but from the country's natural state to establish league of nations.This purposeful history is not only possible but also real and necessary.And the idea is the expression of the principles of law and morality in the world of phenomena.At the same time,Kant explains his unsocial sociability by freedom of will.Both reasons can make the universal community possible.The study of the Kant's text mainly consists of the following sections.The introduction of the thesis discusses the significance of Kant's initial cosmopolitan thought,the research status and the research methods used in this article.The first part of the thesis deals with the transcendental philosophical basis of Kant's world citizenship,including Kant's problem consciousness and research approach.The question is why Kant discusses the philosophy of law in the empirical and historical sphere.The second part analyzes Kant's “Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View”.This analysis contains the individual and race,the state of nature and the state of the law,the state and the league of nations,world citizen and the general history.This process shows the ideological evolution and the logic ofKant's legal philosophy.The third part analyzes the morality of Kant's world citizenship,and points out the ethical principles for Kant's advocacy of the universal community,which is also an additional comment on Kant's legal philosophy.At last,the conclusion concludes the theoretical contribution and limitations of Kant's text.Considering the fact that Kant later improves and corrects his early legal thoughts,the limited contribution implies a certain limitation.In short,under the premise of understanding the western cosmopolitan thought tradition,through the interpretation of the Kant's text,we can clarify the main ideas and basic views of the Kantian national and international theory.Then we can understand what is Kant's contribution.