The anthropological basis and genesis of Kant's political thought (1775-1785)

• Grant number: 12/01833-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: September 05, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - History of Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Ubirajara Rancan de Azevedo Marques
• Grantee: Ubirajara Rancan de Azevedo Marques
• Visiting researcher: Leonel Ribeiro dos Santos
• Visiting researcher institution: Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With this research-project I intend to refute two current assumptions about Kant's political philosophy: first, the thesis that sustains a late «turn to politics» (Wende zur Politik) in Kant's thought, namely as effect of the French Revolution of 1789; secondly, the thesis that tends to see in Kant's late political thought, as developed in To Perpetual Peace (1795) and in Doctrine of Right (1797), only a new proposal of political-institutional architecture without considering his anthropological and teleological basis. My thesis on the contrary sustains: 1) an early genesis of Kantian interest in political philosophy in deep and intense debate with Rousseau's anthropo-political ideas and «paradoxes»; 2) an undeniable anthropological determination of Kantian political thought even in his mature expression. I find the main and essential arguments that support my thesis in the analysis of the Lectures on Anthropology delivered by Kant between 1775 and 1785, now available in the Akademie-Edition (since 1997). But I shall compare the rich materials of these Anthropology Lectures with the Reflections on Anthropology, the Lectures on Physical Geography and other works and essays published by Kant during the period under review. (AU)