Force and Freedom: Kant’s Legal and Political PhilosophyIn this masterful work, both an illumination of Kant’s thought and an important contribution to contemporary legal and political theory, Arthur Ripstein gives a comprehensive yet accessible account of Kant’s political philosophy. Ripstein shows that Kant’s thought is organized around two central claims: first, that legal institutions are not simply responses to human limitations or circumstances; indeed the requirements of justice can be articulated without recourse to views about human inclinations and vulnerabilities. Second, Kant argues for a distinctive moral principle, which restricts the legitimate use of force to the creation of a system of equal freedom. Ripstein’s description of the unity and philosophical plausibility of this dimension of Kant’s thought will be a revelation to political and legal scholars. |
Contents
An Overview | 1 |
The Innate Right of Humanity | 30 |
Acquired Rights | 57 |
Property | 86 |
Contract and Consent | 107 |
Three Defects in the State of Nature | 145 |
Giving Laws to Ourselves | 182 |