Introduction

Abstract

Kant stands almost unchallenged as one of the major thinkers of the European Enlightenment who influenced directly and indirectly all the subsequent major figures in philosophy from Hegel to Wittgenstein and modernists (such as Habermas) and post-modernists (such as Lyotard) alike. He is best known as an ethical theorist and, above all, as the theorist of knowledge who composed the extraordinarily impressive Critique of Pure Reaso. (1781). Kant has also developed a standing as a political philosopher of some note, now sufficient to join the canon in the history of political thought alongside figures like Hobbes and Locke, and Rousseau. Articles on Kant’s political theory nowadays proliferate in political science journals and he is increasingly seen as a political thinker who addresses the central problems of our age. His work is particularly highlighted for the way in which it draws together considerations of traditional political theory, focused on the internal functioning of the state, and considerations of international political theory, focused on the relations among independent sovereign states.1 This interest was given a tremendous impetus at the turn of the century by the ‘democratic peace thesis’ put forward by Michael Doyle2 and further developed by writers like Francis Fukuyama3 and Bruce Russett.4KeywordsUnited Nations Security CouncilInternational TheoryTraditional Political TheoryKantian PerspectivePolitical Science JournalThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.