Réaffirmations du cosmopolitisme kantien
1313 mots
6 pages
Restatements of Kantian CosmopolitanismWhat is Kantian cosmopolitanism and what are its difficulties in reality ?
▪ Main ideas
Ideal of an international system based on law and recognition on universal human rights. Against the national competition, the westphalian vision of the world, based on the right to wage war. According to Kant, freedom for citizens will only be possible if relations between states are stable and peaceful. According to Kant, states must renounce by themselves to wars and interference. World peace will be reached by the spread of republican constitutions for it enables the citizens to be more aware of the political decisions and their risks.
Theses republican states will form a "pacific federation" (foedus pacificum) in which every citizens will be recognized as bearer of inalienable rights as citizen of the world. However Kant limits these rights to hospitality.
Note that Kant doesn't think of a world government for it would be inefficient and would lead to anarchy and the return of self-interest.
▪ Issues
At the same time, Kant defends state sovereignty and a cosmopolitan order which imply some renouncements from states whereas they are not submitted to a superior organization in the Kantian philosophy. But sometimes, Kant hesitates between the free will of states and the possibility of a legal and coercive authority to defend cosmopolitan right.
Kant remains reluctant to state between cosmopolitan world and citizenship and the defense state sovereignty.
To solve this issue, Kant explains that states are morally but not legally obliged to respect this cosmopolitan order. Such a commitment seems quite uncertain. This is one of the issue that explains the failure of Kant cosmopolitan realization in the true and non-ideal world.
Kant hopes that some evidence show that in the future, this cosmopolitan order will be possible : dvpt of international trade, awareness of the terrible costs of war and the dvpt of a public