Kant and dependency relations: Kant on the state's right to redistribute resources to protect the rights of dependents

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Contrary to much Kant interpretation, this article argues that Kant's moral philosophy, including his account of charity, is irrelevant to justifying the state's right to redistribute material resources to secure the rights of dependents (the poor, children, and the impaired). The article also rejects the popular view that Kant either does not or cannot justify anything remotely similar to the liberal welfare state. A closer look at Kant's account of dependency relations in "The Doctrine of Right" reveals an argumentative structure sufficient for a public institutional protection of dependents and evidence that Kant identifies concerns of economic justice as lying at the heart of the state's legitimacy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)257-284
Number of pages28
JournalDialogue-Canadian Philosophical Review
Volume45
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Philosophy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Kant and dependency relations: Kant on the state's right to redistribute resources to protect the rights of dependents'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this