On the Relationship Between Political Right, International Law and Cosmopolitan Right in Kant’s Philosophy of Right

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze Kant’s conception of the relationship between political right, international law and cosmopolitan right, in two late texts: Toward perpetual peace and The metaphysics of morals. The analysis of this issue contributes not only to explain fundamental principles of Kant’s political and juridical philosophy, but it also provides some relevant notions for the current discussion on Human Rights, cosmopolitanism right and international law. These topics place Kant as one of the most attractive modern philosophers within the frame of the contemporary debate. In the first place, I will analyze Kant’s position on interventionism, a relevant issue for the discussion on the relationship between political right and international right, since it poses the question about the limits and scopes of the principle of the State sovereignty. In the second place, I will focus in the connection between republicanism and the institution of an international juridical community, and I will try to show that we deal here with independent —and yet, deeply connected— ends, which should be promoted, in a gradual process of improvement of political institutions.