Abstract for the Kant in Asia
International Conference
at Hong Kong Baptist
University
20-23 May 2009
Chen Jau-hwa,
“Personhood and Statehood in Kant's Philosophy”
In Kant's idea of peace and world republic, an analogy is drawn between personhood and statehood. Through this analogy, the sovereignty of the state is paralleled with the unalienated dignity and right of person. However, Kant's idea of world republic seems contradictory to his theory of the state's sovereignty that the state's power must be limited in favor of the world republic to maintain the world or regional peace. How far the analogy can be taken to justify his project for a world republic, not at cost of state's sovereignty? The purposed paper has three dimensions to take care: 1. the history and theories of the analogy in the political philosophy; 2. the recent debates on the supposed “contradiction” between state's sovereignty and world republic in Kant's philosophy of peace; 3. the interpretations and misinterpretations in the understanding of Kant's concept of autonomy and person.