Louis Kant

[Jim heartfield]

In message <4.0.1.19981208185242.01044350 at popserver.panix.com>, Louis
Proyect <lnp3 at panix.com> writes
>Immanuel Kant, "Physical Geography", Volume 8 of "Gesammelte Schriften":
>
>The inhabitant of the temperate parts of the world, above all the central
>part, has a more beautiful body, works harder, is more jocular, more
>controlled in his passions, more intelligent than any other race of people
>in the world. That is why at all points in time these peoples have educated
>the others and controlled them with weapons. The Romans, Greeks, the
>ancient Nordic peoples, Genghis Khan, the Turks, Tamurlaine, the Europeans
>after Columbus's discoveries, they have all amazed the southern lands with
>their arts and weapons.
>
>(cited in Eze's "Race and the Enlightenment," p. 64)

I'd like to see Eze's reference, since Kant is amongst the first people
to talk of one human race. Certainly that is the guiding principle for
the Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Intent, which
argues for 'a federation of peoples', 'In such a league every nation,
even the smallest, can expect to have secuirty and rights, not by virtue
of its own might or its own declarations according to what is right, but
from the great federation of peoples alone, from a united might, and
from decisions made by the united will' (p34).

To attack Kant who originated the idea of equal rights among nations for
racism is bizarre. Our contemporary view that unequl treatment is
unacceptable is owing to Kant's influence. If today we extend the
principle to such an extent that even Kant is faulted, we are only
really paying homage to the power of that idea.

Louis should understand that if he thinks all peoples are equal, then he
is a good student of Kant.
-- 
Jim heartfield