Universalality

Kant – Reflective

In this post, I would like to reflect on the universality of Kant’s position as opposed to the anti-Kantian relativist position. I believe that Kant is so grounded in his perception of the world that he does not believe that there could be true differences other than deviations from the true universal consensus. In this reflection of Kant’s view, how could Kant be anything other than a cultural/relative imperialist in his views? It is now new found to think of one’s own culture as superior to other “inferior” cultures or beliefs. These sentiments are often considered nationalistic. Kant’s view is in fact one step farther than the superiority of nation aspect, he takes it to mean a universal aspect, and there can be no other true cultures but one’s that are plain misguided. There was a time when the white men took it upon themselves to cultivate and reform the “savages” of the world because the European way of thinking, living and behaving was the correct way. I don’t deny that Kant’s vision of a moral world was visionary in a world where all people could live together without war but at what costs? If Rousseau’s general will was so great of a threat then imagine Kant’s version of obligating those outside of the contract to be a part of the society or of forcing them to leave their place of inhabitance.