The Moral Standing of the State in International Politics

Milla Emilia Vaha

Description

Kant’s moral and political philosophy has been important in developing ethical thinking in international relations. This study argues that his theory of the state is crucially important for understanding the moral agency of the state as it is discussed in contemporary debates. For Kant, it is argued that the state has not only duties but also, controversially, inalienable rights that ground its relationship to its citizens and to other states. Most importantly, the state – regardless of its governmental form or factual behaviour – has a right to exist as a state. The Kantian account provided, therefore, explores not only the moral agency but also the moral standing of the state, examining the status of different kinds of states in world politics and expectations towards their ethical behaviour. Every state has a moral standing that must be respected in a morally imperfect world gradually transforming towards the ideal condition of perpetual peace.

Note on references and translations
Introduction
Chapter One: The Moral Standing Problem in the study of world politics
Chapter Two: Kant and the metaethical conception of the state
Chapter Three: As to what relations among human beings and states ought to be
Chapter Four: Rights and duties of the state
Chapter Five: Order and justice in the world of imperfect states
Chapter Six: On contested continuity of states
Conclusions
Bibliography

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique
• Political
• Philosophie et théologie
• Philosophy

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 juillet 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786837875
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

P O L I T I C A L P H I L O S O P H Y N O W

Chîef Edîtor of the Serîes: Howard Wîîams, Aberystwyth Unîversîty, Waes

Assocîate Edîtors: Wofgang Kerstîng, Unîversîty of Kîe, Germany Renato Crîstî, Wîfrîd Laurîer Unîversîty, Wateroo, Canada Susan Med She, Boston Coege, Massachusetts, USA Davîd Boucher, Cardîff Unîversîty, Waes

Affîlîate Edîtors: Peter P. Nîchoson, formery of Unîversîty of York, Engand Steven B. Smîth, Yae Unîversîty, USA

Political Philosophy Nowa serîes whîch deas wîth authors, îs topîcs and perîods în poîtîca phîosophy from the perspectîve of theîr reevance to current debates. The serîes presents a spread of subjects and poînts of vîew from varîous tradîtîons whîch încude European and New Word debates în poîtîca phîosophy.

Also in series Kant’sDoctrîne of Rîghtîn the Twenty-fîrst Century Edîted by Larry Krasnoff, Nurîa Sánchez Madrîd and Paua Satne

Hegel and Marx: After the Fall of Communîsm Davîd MacGregor

Polîtîcs and Teleology în Kant Edîted by Pau Formosa, Avery Godman and Tatîana Patrone

Identîty, Polîtîcs and the Novel: The Aesthetîc Moment Ian Fraser

Kant on Sublîmîty and Moralîty Joshua Rayman

Polîtîcs and Metaphysîcs în Kant Edîted by Sorîn Baîasu, Samî Pîhstrom and Howard Wîîams

Nîetzsche and Napoleon: The Dîonysîan Conspîracy Don Dombowsky

Nîetzsche On Theognîs of Megara Renato Crîstî and Oscar Veásquez

Francîs Fukuyama and the end of hîstory Howard Wîîams, Davîd Suîvan and E. Gwynn Matthews

Kant’s Polîtîcal Legacy: Human Rîghts, Peace, Progress Luîgî Carantî

P O L I T I C A L P H I L O S O P H Y N O W

The Moral Standing of the State in International Politics A Kantian Account

Milla Emilia Vaha

UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS • 2021

© Mîa Emîîa Vaha, 2021

A rîghts reserved. No part of thîs book may be reproduced în any materîa form (încudîng photocopyîng or storîng ît în any medîum by eectronîc means and whether or not transîenty or încîden- tay to some other use of thîs pubîcatîon) wîthout the wrîtten permîssîon of the copyrîght owner except în accordance wîth the provîsîons of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act. Appîcatîons for the copyrîght owner’s wrîtten permîssîon to reproduce any part of thîs pubîcatîon shoud be addressed to the Unîversîty of Waes Press, Unîversîty Regîstry, Kîng Edward VII Avenue, Cardîff CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

Brîtîsh Lîbrary Cataloguîng-în-Publîcatîon Data A cataogue record for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN 978-1-78683-786-8 e-ISBN 978-1-78683-787-5

The rîght of Mîa Emîîa Vaha to be îdentîfîed as author of thîs work has been asserted în accordance wîth sectîons 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

Typeset by Marîe Doherty Prînted by CPI Antony Rowe, Meksham, UK

Contents

Note on References and Transatîons Acknowedgements

Introductîon

1

2 3

4 5 6

TheMora Standîng Probemîn the Study of Word Poîtîcs Kant and the Metaethîca Conceptîon of the State AstoWhatReatîonsamongHumanBeîngsand StatesOught to Be Rîghts and Dutîes of the State Order and Justîce în the Word of Imperfect States On Contested Contînuîty of States

Concusîons Notes Bîbîography Index

vîî îx

1

9

28 50

74 92 113

133 139 165 177

Note on References and Translations

I use severa dîfferent Engîsh transatîons of Kant’s maîn poîtîca texts and change between transatîons where I deem ît necessary for carîty and meanîng. For thîs reason, I offer doube references în-text: fîrst, I îndîcate the page numbers of Kant’s texts as they are provîded în the standard German edîtîon, the Akademîe Edîtîon (Kants gesammelte Schrîften); second, I provîde the transatîon and page number of each partîcuar reference (e.g. 6:231, în Gregor, p. 387). The references toThe Metaphysîcs of Moralsfrom are Gregor’sPractîcal Phîlosophy, uness stated otherwîse. The transatîons I use are as foows:

Polîtîcal Wrîtîngs, edîted by H. S. Reîss, transated by H. B. Nîsbet (Cambrîdge: Cambrîdge Unîversîty Press, 1991). The Metaphysîcs of Morals, transated and edîted by Mary J. Gregor (Cambrîdge: Cambrîdge Unîversîty Press, 1996). Toward Perpetual Peace and Other Wrîtîngs on Polîtîcs, Peace, and Hîstory, edîted and wîth an întroductîon by Pauîne Keînged, transated by Davîd L. Cocasure (New Haven, NJ: Yae Unî- versîty Press, 2006). Practîcal Phîlosophy,transated and edîted by Mary J. Gregor (Cambrîdge: Cambrîdge Unîversîty Press, 2008). Groundwork for the Metaphysîcs of Morals,edîted and transated by Aen W. Wood (New Haven, NJ: Yae Unîversîty Press, 2002).

Acknowledgements

It took me over ten years to do thîs îtte book. The journey towards ît began în the eary 2010, when I was a vîsîtîng student at Aberystwyth Unîversîty, hafway through my PhD. I am not sure îf Howard Wîîams, chîef edîtor of thîs serîes, remembers, but dur- îng one dîscussîon on Kant’s poîtîca phîosophy he asked me îf I knew that I had some good îdeas. Hîs words have been împortant to me whenever I have fet frustrated wîth academîc wrîtîng and doubted mysef. It îs, therefore, no coîncîdence that amost ten years ater I turned to Howard and the Unîversîty of Waes Press wîth my book proposa. After competîng my doctorate studîes at the European Unîversîty Instîtute, I had started new research projects în areas other than the mora personaîty of the state. But the journey fet încompete and unaccompîshed. Howard provîded me wîth some usefu comments and a crîtîca questîon: was I commîtted to further workîng on those îdeas to deveop them înto a book manuscrîpt? I was by then ready to eave academîa atogether and start traînîng horses for a îvîng, so I was not quîte sure how to answer to hîm; the answer I eventuay gave, however, was în the affîrmatîve. Thanks to Howard, the revîewers and the most hepfu edîtorîa staff at UWP, thîs book was competed. Over the years, I have worked în many înstîtutîons and met many great schoars and students wîth whom I have dîscussed the questîons expored în thîs book. These dîscussîons have taken pace însîde and outsîde the cassroom, at severa Hîton conference has, and frequenty over a gass of wîne – în dozens of cîtîes around the word. If I woud îst a those peope who have înfuenced, crîtîcîsed, supported and sparred wîth me, the acknowedgements woud be onger than the book. I wî therefore thank a of you coectîvey, and hope that you know who you are. Benjamîn Wheeer, you not ony traveed across the word wîth me so I coud have my dream job at the Unîversîty of the South Pacîfîc, but you read my manuscrîpt amost as many tîmes as I dîd.