Abstract

This essay which was first published in 1793 and now appearing for the first time in English is, according to its editor, "one of the most neglected though most important documents of the Enlightenment". In an age when philosophy is still thought by many to be impractical, Kant’s essay attempts to show the relevance of his moral and political theory to some issues and problems that are in fact still alive today: the nature and extent of political authority, the limits of political obedience and the right of revolution, international law and the preservation of peace. The work is divided into three sections dealing respectively with morality in general and considerations of welfare and utility; politics, the welfare of the state, and constitutional law; and international law and the possibilities for its institution and effectiveness.