On Kant's Historical Philosophy:An Investigation Based On Natural Teleology

For a long time,domestic academic circles have been doing more research on Kant's epistemology,moral philosophy,and aesthetics than Kant's philosophy of history.However,we should not ignore this valuable legacy that Kant left us.Natural teleology is the "key" to Kant's philosophy of history.The shortcomings of modern mechanism are one of the reasons why Kant proposed natural teleology.Proceed from the "natural teleology" and through the question of "the final end of nature",Kant leads us to the "ultimate end of creation"-the moral person,and regards human history as the realization process of the "intention of nature ",and regards the original messy history as a process of human being constantly moving towards permanent peace.The history of progress is a preparation for the moralization of man.Kant's achievements in the development of history of philosophy,which also causes his theoretical dilemma,is that he is the first to put forward that evil is the driving force of historical development and go beyond enlightenment thinkers' idea that history is a one-dimensional transformation of good and evil by comprehensively reasoning the dialectical relationship inside the mutual transformation between good and evil.However,Kant also frees historical theory from morality.The good will remain as an ideal in history,and it does not play any role in reality.The supreme good as the ultimate goal of history can only be relying on the development of evil.It is the evil disposition that really play a role in history.Secondly,when he regards "world citizenship" which is in perpetual peace as a task of nature for human beings,it shows that he has established the relationship between politics and morality on the basis of the transcendental philosophy of "practical reason".The relationship must be placed in practical reason to be understood and dealt with so that he can resolve political and moral dilemmas.However,as a basis for establishing a harmonious relationship between morality and politics,the "moral law" is only a formalized principle.When it comes to real conflicts,it becomes pale and powerless,which determines that it cannot directly affect real political life.Kant's philosophy of history has promoted the development of German classical philosophy of history and the formation of Marx's historical materialism.This promotion is reflected not only in the achievements of Kant's philosophy of history,but also in the contradictions that Kant's philosophy of history failed to overcome and unresolved issues.Most of the German classical philosophers after Kant inherited and developed the teleological thought in Kant's philosophy of history,and further brought it into subjectification and rationalization while the relationship between nature(necessity)and freedom that could not be solved in Kant's philosophy of history caused rethinking and answering by latecomers,especially Fichte and Schelling.Kant proved the development and progress of history and the regularity and purposefulness of historical development through natural teleology.Although it failed to clarify what these laws are,it cleared the way for Marx to reveal historical laws.In addition,Marx regards political and moral relations as a practical problem which is restricted and influenced by the basic contradictory movement of society.It overcomes Kant's utopian tendency on politics,and puts the relationship between politics and morality on the basis of practical activities of people.Based on the scientific analysis of basic contradictions of society points out that political and moral conflicts must be resolved through revolutionary practice.