The Thorny Path to Eternal Peace

Abstract

The following essay introduces the idea of eternal peace as Immanuel Kant conceptualised it and how it relates to the contemporary global society. Kant´s political philosophy still covers a wide range of current issues. He envisioned, for example, "a center of federative union for other States to attach themselves to" (Kant 1891a, 98) as a precondition for perpetual Peace. We can ask in how far the EU can serve as such a role model. Kant firmly believes that a peace guaranteeing federation should consist of republics. Looking at the present global system, can we identify these republics? Do states have the right to establish a democracy through military interventions? In spite of its consistency, unequalled depth of reasoning and its relevance to current developments, Kant´s concept of eternal peace still lingers in the shadows. Politicians often prefer to make wars. Some thinkers develop their own models for a peaceful world society, others engage in hermeneutic discussions in order to clarify Kant´s concept. They usually focus on one area of concern and scarcely back up their claims with empirical evidence. This paper, however, complements Kant´s ideas and relates them to current social, economic, political and cultural developments.