Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 26 No. 4, 2006.
Original scientific paper
The Sources of Liberal Thought in Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy
Marita Brčić
Abstract
Immanuel Kant, with his Copernican Revolution, returns to human being central place in the world. In his philosophy human being is understood as an individual that possess freedom. That freedom has source in human mind but person is aware of it only when he acts according to the moral law. Thus Kant attaches freedom to every individual as a natural right which no positive law cannot get into question. With the moral law Kant makes every human being responsible for itself, but also for the whole world. This responsibility for the world has been contained in Kant’s idea of perpetual peace. For him perpetual peace is an idea of the mind that every person has to incline. Only when peace is going to role in the whole world, human rights, especially freedom, are going to be realized. Kant’s concept of the freedom, but also of the equality, tolerance, indipendence, public use of mind, has done a big influence on liberal thought. The thing that brings them together is trust in an individual. Both Kant and liberals belive in the fact that every person is specific and wants to accomplish the best things in himself and for himself, but also with that makes contribution for the development of a better and justly world.
Keywords
Immanuel Kant; liberalism; eternal peace; freedom; individual
Hrčak ID:
12017
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2006.
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