Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch

How does the political climate of late 18th-century Europe, particularly the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, shape Kant’s vision of Perpetual Peace? In what ways does Perpetual Peace reflect Enlightenment optimism about reason and progress, and where does it reveal Kant’s skepticism about human nature?

How does Kant’s critique of imperial expansion and colonialism anticipate later anti-imperial thought? What moral or legal arguments does he use to condemn conquest?

Compare Kant’s idea of moral autonomy to his vision of political autonomy. How do these concepts intersect in Perpetual Peace? How does Kant distinguish between morality and legality in his vision of international relations?