Ethics, Politics, and a Virtuous Circle Between them

This article examines the interplay between the moral and the political in Kant’s thought. In doing so, it draws an analogy between two relations: that between the ethical and the political community, and that between moral and political progress. Through this analogy, I argue (i) that Kant grants logical precedence to political progress, (ii) that there is a virtuous circle between moral and political progress, and (iii) that forming a community is both a duty and a human predisposition.