Kant’s Philosophy: Copernican Revolution, Imperative, and Social Contract
Kant’s Key Philosophical Concepts
Copernican Revolution in Philosophy
The Copernican Revolution, as Kant termed it, signifies a radical shift in understanding the process of knowledge. Knowledge is not merely a passive reception of information, but an active interpretation of the world by the individual. This involves perceiving reality and explaining it. The ‘knower’ interacts with the ‘known reality’ or ‘object.’ To know is to perceive reality through the filters of space and time, interpreting it through inherent categories within us.
This implies that the subject shapes our understanding of the world. The filters through which we perceive reality are projected by the subject’s inherent structure. This perspective is known as idealism, where we configure things according to our ideas. Kant’s philosophy refers to this as transcendental idealism, asserting that we cannot know things as they are in themselves, as our mental structures inevitably influence our perception.
The Categorical Imperative
Our will is driven by moral principles that guide our conduct. Moral judgments that compel our will are imperatives, of which there are two types: hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperatives contain a mandate contingent upon a condition. If the condition is not relevant to us, we are not obligated to fulfill the duty. Categorical imperatives, however, are unconditional moral laws that must be obeyed in all circumstances.
A good will is governed by categorical imperatives. An action is considered good if it is performed with good intentions and is governed by a formal imperative.
The Social Contract
Kant posits that political power originates from the collective will of the people, not from divine authority. The social contract explains the origin of political power and the state, where individuals transition from a state of nature to a civil state. The state of nature is characterized by hostility and conflict, driven by individuals pursuing their personal goals and desires. Kant describes this as ‘unsocial sociability.’
Motivated by reason and a desire for security, individuals voluntarily leave the state of nature and enter civil society through a social contract. They relinquish natural freedoms and establish the state, governed by political law. Legitimate coercion is a product of this agreement, ensuring peace. The contract is an idea of practical reason. Individuals exchange natural liberty for legal freedom, which is the ability to act without harming others and to obey only laws to which they have consented. Kant does not permit civil disobedience, as all laws must be enacted with the potential consent of all. Legislators should consider whether proposed laws could reasonably gain universal consent.
Freedom Under Law
Legal freedom contrasts with natural freedom. It is acquired through the social contract, where individuals waive unlimited natural rights. (The state of nature is…)