The Thorny Path to Eternal Peace. Applying Kant´s Ideas to the Global Situation

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“ 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.