The Community Aspect of Kant’s Virtuous Circle Between Ethics and Politics

Abstract

This article examines the interplay between the moral and the political in Kant’s thought the
concept of community. In doing so, it draws an analogy between two relations: that between the ethical and
the political community, and that between moral and political progress. Through this analogy, I argue (i) that
Kant grants logical precedence to political progress, (ii) that there is a virtuous circle between moral and
political progress, and (iii) that forming a community is both a duty and a human predisposition.