To Perpetual Peace: A Study in Public Law

Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.6

Word count: 171K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ikuiseen rauhaan: Valtio-oikeudellinen tutkielma by Immanuel KantAuthor: Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804,Language: Finnish, Class: JX: Political science: International law, Release Date: Nov 6, 2016

Editor's review

This is the Finnish translation of Kant's Perpetual Peace, its subtitle indicating its nature as a juridical treatise; it is a classic text of international law and international political philosophy. Written as an essay, it proposes principled conceptions of how states may escape the state of war and move toward a lawful order of peace, addressing issues of sovereignty, international federation and cosmopolitan right. Its value lies not in offering specific policy proposals but in grounding international law rationally through transcendental philosophy, with rigorous argument and dense concepts. The Finnish translation is suitable as material combining language study with philosophical reading, and may be used alongside the German or English versions. It requires some philosophical training, especially familiarity with the basic terminology of Kant's practical philosophy; those seeking only historical facts of international relations will not find narrative content here. It is suited to close reading as a primary text in seminars, course papers or comparative legal studies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Professional readers in international law and international political philosophy
Philosophy students needing to study Kant's legal philosophy as a primary text
Advanced language learners doing academic reading practice in Finnish
Researchers interested in the intellectual history of the idea of perpetual peace

Not a good fit for

General readers without philosophical grounding who expect accessible books
Those seeking only historical facts and cases in international relations
Readers unfamiliar with Finnish and without a parallel translation for support

Reading tips

Read the introduction and table of contents first to grasp the essay's structure and core propositions, then read chapter by chapter.
Prepare the German or English version for comparison, checking translation differences when key terms arise.
Make concept cards as you read, recording definitions of terms such as sovereignty, federation and cosmopolitan right.
Read alongside other texts of Kant's practical philosophy to avoid understanding the argument in isolation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Finnish or German?

The main text is in Finnish; it is the Finnish translation of Kant's Perpetual Peace. Kant wrote in German, so readers wishing to check the original or terminology should also consult the German original or a reliable English translation.

Can someone without a philosophy background read this book?

It can be attempted, but it is difficult. The book has dense concepts and abstract argument, and without a background in Kant's practical philosophy one may easily remain at the literal level. It is advisable to read an introductory guide first to understand the framework of his legal philosophy before entering the main text.

Is the electronic edition suitable for academic citation?

It can be used for reading and preliminary research, but formal citation should check an authoritative printed edition or note the translation information. The electronic edition comes from a public-domain project, and its layout and pagination may differ from academic editions, so citations should be marked with care.

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About the author

Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804 Author

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was a German philosopher whose writings have had a profound influence on the history of philosophy. The library holds 22 of his works, including the Critique of Pure Reason, the Critique of Practical Reason, the Critique of Judgment, and the Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals. These works address the limits of human cognition, the foundations of the moral law, and aesthetic judgment, and are known for their rigorous concepts, step-by-step argumentation, and a distinctive terminology that demands patient attention to the structure of the argument. It is worth noting that some of his works are classified here under “inspirational growth,” a popularized treatment in Chinese book categorization that hardly captures the full scope of his philosophy. Public information on the details of Kant’s life is limited, so no such details are given here; his thought continues to influence later readers and researchers mainly through the critical philosophy works mentioned above.