Conference article

Throughout the whole of Kant’s cosmopolitanism – a guiding principle underlying his entire system – as defined in his idea of “philosophy in a cosmopolitan sense”; there lies a fundamental ambiguity; one that we might call the cosmopolitical problem: on the one hand; the word “cosmopolitanism” comports a political meaning; on the other; it seems nothing more than a moral stance in Kant. Trying to address this problem; departing from a reconstruction of a Kantian definition of politics; we arrive at a more specific sense of the cosmo-political; namely; the idea of the Kingdom of Virtue; as presented in his Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. Besides the consequences of this idea upon Kant’s cosmopolitan principle; we can also observe how it gives sense to his idea of culture – more specifically; of cultural difference – as the bearer of a specifically political freedom; namely; the right to differ. Returning to the idea of the Kingdom of Virtue; we conclude that it suggests an alternative approach to cosmopolitanism. Thus understood; cosmopolitanism operates through – culturally developed – mentalities; not through common deliberation; i.e.; politics proper; but it still remains the par excellence scene of the cosmo-political.

This research has been carried out within the research project financed by UEFISCDI; contract number 261 /August 05 2010; project manager: Áron Telegdi-Csetri.

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