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The Function of Ideas of Reason in Kant's Political Philosophy

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The Function of Ideas of Reason in Kant's Political Philosophy The function of ideas of reason in Kant’s political philosophy Paula Keating This thesis is submitted to the School of Philosophy, University of New South Wales, in fulfilment of the requirements of a PhD in Philosophy October 2007 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname name: KEATING First name: PAULA Other name/s: JANE Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: PHILOSOPHY Faculty: ARTS Title: THE FUNCTION OF IDEAS OF REASON IN KANT’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Abstract 350 words maximum: This thesis is concerned with the power of ideas in political philosophy and practice. It argues firstly that Kant’s ideas of reason, as he originally defines them as regulative in the First Critique, play an important role in his political philosophy and his dynamic approach to politics. Secondly, because it is fundamentally concerned with political transition and improvement, Kant’s approach to politics is therefore one that has continuing relevance. Evidence for this is provided via an examination of Rawls’ political liberalism and the manner in which the idea of the reasonable fulfils the role of an idea of reason. The thesis begins with an examination of the regulative use of ideas of reason in the Dialectic of the First Critique: the ideas of soul, world and God become guides for practice, insofar as they are not bearers of truth but instead create essential conditions necessary for human life and meaning. Chapter Two then demonstrates how ideas of reason figure in Kant’s political texts. They condition politics by inspiring the practice of their objects, for example, the establishment of a rightful condition, the security of private property, the perpetuation of peace. That they look to the status quo in order to effect politics, demonstrates their concern with social progress. Chapter Three argues that publicity forms the primary political idea of reason as it enables the polity to use ideas of reason. Because publicity provides the test of efficient and rightful politics, we can say that it is through publicity that Kant’s politics is grounded. Chapter Four investigates Rawls’ political liberalism and observes that the primacy of the idea of the reasonable in his theory works according to a system of ideas of reason as proposed by Kant. Chapter Five then makes a final comparison between Kant and Rawls to demonstrate that ideas of reason, in particular the pre-eminent political idea of public reason, is central to both their conceptions of the political condition. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). …………………………………………………………… Signature ……………………………………..……………… Witness ……….……………………...…….… Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………. Date …………………………………………. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works all or part of this thesis. I also authorise University Micro films to use the 350 work abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International. I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis.’ Signed …………………………………………. Date …………………………………………. AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ………………………………………….. Date ………………………………………….. Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Method of Citation ii Introduction The function of ideas of reason in Kant’s political philosophy 1 Chapter One Kant’s Practical Metaphysics: the Theory of the Practical Use of Reason 14 1.1 The relationship between knowing and thinking 18 1.1.1 Kant’s practical turn 18 1.1.2 The positive achievement of speculative metaphysics 20 1.1.3 Transcendental illusion and the faculty of reason 21 1.2 The regulative use of reason 25 1.2.1 The final aim of the natural dialectic of human reason 30 1.3 The regulative idea of self 31 1.3.1 The critique of rational psychology 31 1.3.2 The soul, the self and the autonomous will 33 1.4 The Antinomies of Pure Reason 36 1.4.1 The critique of rational cosmology 36 1.5 The ideal of pure reason and moral responsibility 41 1.6 Assuming freedom 45 1.7 The function of ideas of reason 55 1.8 Conclusion 56 Chapter Two Ideas of Reason and the Practice of Politics 58 2.1 The problem 60 2.2 What are the ideas of reason in Kant’s political philosophy and how do they frame the political field? 62 2.2.1 The possibility of property and the practical postulate of Right 64 2.2.2 The practical deduction of the idea of Right 68 2.2.3 The idea of the general will 74 2.2.4 The idea of original possession in common: contractual vs progressive 76 2.2.5 The dynamic of cosmopolitan political obligations 81 2.3 Kant’s provisions for dynamic politics 88 2.3.1 The paradoxical logic of political transition in Kant 88 2.3.1.1 The Passage of Pure Revolution 89 2.3.1.2 Ideas as dynamic conditions for politics 92 2.3.2 Ellis’ account of public judgement in Kant 97 2.3.2.1 How Ellis’ theory of Kant’s political philosophy accords with my analysis of the political function of ideas of reason 97 2.3.2.2 Ellis’ account of public judgement 104 2.4 Conclusion 112 Chapter Three Publicity as the Primary Idea for Politics 114 3.1 The idea of publicity: public enlightenment leads to proper politics 118 3.1.1 Public Right, politics and their transcendental foundation 119 3.1.2 The form of publicity, public reason and public enlightenment 122 3.1.3 Publicity and public knowability 128 3.2 The Institution of Publicity 132 3.2.1 The negative principle of publicity: a moral versus political criterion 134 3.2.2 The positive principle of publicity and the true task of politics 144 3.3 True politics and the moral politician 152 3.4 Conclusion 162 Chapter Four Rawls’ Public Reason as a Kantian Idea of Reason 164 4.1 The stability problem and the answer of the idea of the reasonable 167 4.1.1 The idea of a reasonable overlapping consensus 169 4.1.2 The reply to Habermas on reasonable justification 172 4.2. Public Reason as Idea of Reason 177 4.2.1 Publicity and the idea of a well-ordered society 177 4.2.2 The idea of public reason 182 4.3 The proviso and the wide view of public political culture 193 4.3.1 The “inclusive” idea of public reason in PL 195 4.3.2 The proviso in IPRR 198 4.3.3 The wide role of public reason in IPRR 202 4.3.4 Public justification in IPRR 206 4.4 Individual responsibility in public reason 213 4.5 Conclusion 214 Chapter Five Kant and Rawls Compared 216 5.1 The reasonable in Rawls as an idea of reason 218 5.2 Towards Perpetual Justice 223 5.3 Rawls and the reach of public reason 230 5.4 Conclusion 237 Conclusion 238 Bibliography 247 Acknowledgements Thank you to my parents, Diane and Robert Keating, for their absolute love, and especially for giving me the ability to feel the simplicity and wonder of all things.
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