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Kant, Mill and illiberal legacies in international affairs

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 17:44 authored by Beate Jahn
While the revival of the concept of “imperialism” appears to be a reaction to recent political challenges, I argue that it has always been at the core of liberal thought in international relations. While liberal internationalism enlists the authority of Immanuel Kant, at its heart one finds the security dilemma between liberal and nonliberal states as well as the propagation of particularist law under a universal guise. This un-Kantian liberal thought, however, has a classical precedent in John Stuart Mill, with whom it shares the justification of imperialist policies. A historically sensitive reading of Mill and Kant, however, can explain the striking failures of liberal internationalism in spreading liberal institutions as well as reducing international conflicts.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

International Organization

ISSN

0020-8183

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Issue

1

Volume

59

Page range

177-207

Pages

31.0

Department affiliated with

  • International Relations Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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