From The Student Room

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Politics > Nature Wills Perpetual Peace

---

It is our destiny, as humans, to achieve peace, because nature, through giving us reason, has willed it. There is no guarantee, but it seems inevitable.

We now come to the essential question regarding the prospect of perpetual peace. What does nature do in relation to the end which man's own reason prescribes to him as a duty, i.e. how does nature help to promote his moral purpose?

Kant argues that nature wills that perpetual peace will occur, whether we like it or not. Nature does not impose perpetual peace as a duty on us, because duties can only be imposed through practical reason. Nature just does it, through three areas of right: political, international and cosmopolitan right.

Contents 1 Political Right 2 International Right 3 Moral/Cosmopolitation Right 4 Conclusion 5 Comments

Political Right

States are natural, because war is natural : people need to organise themselves into states because of the threat of war.

A republican constitution is the most difficult to establish, and many maintain that it is only possible in a state of angels. However, if the state is set up correctly, so that different interests oppose each other, it is possible in a state of devils. It is possible because it does not involve the the moral improvement of man. In the domestic sphere, we only need to find out how to channel man's hostile and competitive attitudes against each other so as to ensure that men submit to coercive laws.

Once the law is implemented, a good political constitution should be able to morally improve the people.

International Right

The state of nature is the state of war. Normally, it would be the desire of every state to dominate the entire world in order to achieve lasting peace (as in the Roman Empire). But natural linguistic and religious differences stop this from happening. Although these may lead to wars, "as culture grows and men gradually move towards greater agreement over their principles, they lead to mutual understanding and peace".

Thus universal despotism is avoided and there is a balance of power.

Moral/Cosmopolitation Right

Although religion and language separate nations, the "spririt of commerce" unites them. Men will find it in their own interest to stop wars, and though this does not stem from morality, men will still be compelled to promote the noble cause of peace.

Conclusion

Kant concludes, that "In this way, nature guarantees perpetual peace by the actual mechanism of human inclinations."

Comments