Kant's Hermeneutics of Progress

Authors

  • Zachary Biondi UCLA

Keywords:

Kant, History, Philosophy of History, Cosmopolitanism, Progress

Abstract

Kant's Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View proposes a method of historiography according to which humanity is depicted as progressing towards a state of freedom, perpetual peace, and cosmopolitanism. In short, it puts forward what one might call a hermeneutics of progress: a self-consciously political exegetical framework. This paper locates the hermeneutic in Kant's political essays and explores a number of its characteristics, for instance, its self-reflexivity. The hermeneutic is seen to be more than a call for politically progressive historiography but also a broader philosophy of history that challenges institutional assumptions.

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Published

03-10-2020

How to Cite

Biondi, Z. (2020). Kant’s Hermeneutics of Progress. Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, 16(2), 76–93. Retrieved from http://cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/view/854