Democracy and Peace

In volume 4 of PRIF’s study series Oliver Eberl attempts a critical reinterpretation of Kants “Perpetual Peace”

 

Immanuel Kants work „Perpetual Peace“ has passed through a long history of reception. Ever since it was first published over 200 years ago, it was interpreted and reinterpreted and set in relation to changing circumstances and ideologies. “Perpetual Peace” also plays a crucial role for modern peace and conflict studies, and it is a focal point for PRIF’ s current research programme.

 

In his dissertation on “Democracy and Peace” (Demokratie und Frieden. Kants Friedensschrift in den Kontroversen der Gegenwart), which is published as volume 4 of PRIF’ s study series with Nomos, Oliver Eberl challenges critically the conventional interpretations of Kant’ s text. He analyses the reception of “Perpetual Peace” in different historical phases and comes up with an own exposition. Thereby he criticizes the use of Kant’ s text as justification for intervention in both the theories of “Democratic Peace” as well as theories of “Liberal International Law”. Those, in Eberl’ s opinion are not in accordance with Kant himself. Concentrating on the actual text, Eberl shows the modernity of its content which does not need supplement as is common in political science and law studies.