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Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch
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Appendix 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Appendix 1 Summary: “On the Disagreement Between Morals and Politics in Relation to Perpetual Peace”
In this Appendix, Kant confronts a frequent moral argument: That moral principles are noble in theory, but impractical in the real world. The supposed conflict between politics and morality arises from what Kant believes is a misunderstanding. Political pragmatism without a foundation of morality is convenient, but ethically bankrupt. Morality divorced from political reality becomes naïve idealism. The two must be reconciled through reason.
Kant criticizes political moralists who manipulate moral principles to justify self-interest. These figures twist justice to suit their own convenience, claiming that politics must adapt to human weakness. Kant defends, instead, moral politicians who act according to principles of right even when doing so is disadvantageous. By honoring the supremacy of moral law, politics has an opportunity to become legitimate.
The philosopher then introduces a formula of public right, asserting that any political maxim is unjust if it cannot withstand public disclosure. Transparency becomes the ultimate moral test: If secrecy is necessary to maintain power, the action is immoral.
Appendix 1 Analysis
This Appendix reasserts the central concept of Perpetual Peace: States, like individuals, have moral obligations. Politics is not exempt from moral law; it is the field where moral law is tested. Appendix 1 addresses the cynical claim that morality and politics are incompatible. Kant dismantles this opposition by expositing it as bad reasoning disguised as realism.
The philosopher distinguishes between two types of political actors and explores how each interacts with The Moral Obligation of States. The moral politician starts from principles of right and adapts them prudently to circumstance. Ethics form the catalyst for action. The political moralist begins from expediency and reshapes morality to fit interest. Morality does not factor into the equation. Kant argues that political moralists—common among rulers—often bring forth betrayal and war. Kant draws a sharp distinction between political prudence and moral obligation. The political moralist treats perpetual peace as a technical problem—how to maneuver power so that peace may emerge. The moral politician, by contrast, treats perpetual peace as a duty arising from a natural formal principle of right. In this Appendix, Kant warns that if states prefer shortcuts over duty, they ultimately betray their own ends.
Kant’s formula of public right is his test: An action is unjust if its maxim cannot be made public without defeating its purpose. This principle ties justice to transparency and foreshadows democratic norms of open government and public record laws. Although Appendix 1 does not revisit in detail the mechanics of republican constitutions, it reinforces the argument that only governments grounded in moral legitimacy can avoid the tension between politics and ethics. Kant acknowledges that political practice is difficult, uncertain, and vulnerable to the corruptions of power. He concedes that political prudence requires knowledge of human nature and moral law.
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