About the author
German philosopher (1724–1804), the central thinker of the Enlightenment. Perpetual Peace (1795) sketches the conditions for lasting peace among states: republican constitutions, a federation of free states, and a law of universal hospitality. It is the foundational text of the liberal-internationalist and cosmopolitan tradition, an enduring counterpoint to realism and the intellectual ancestor of later projects of international law and union.
Synopsis
An essay proposing conditions for lasting peace between states, including republican constitutions and international law.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Public domainKant links peace to republican government, law, and cosmopolitan right.
This anchors liberal hopes for international order in institutions and law rather than raw power.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with realist critiques of international politics.
Reading note
Good for international politics and liberal theory.
Best paired with
E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years' Crisis.