Would devils be devils with theoretical reason alone under a Kantian account?

This paper focuses on Kant’s Towards Perpetual Peace famous statement according to which the problem of the State can be solved even for a race of devils, at least if they possess understanding. Its aim is to show that, despite Kant’s phrasing, understood as possessing the power of understanding alone, a devil would not be evil, nor accountable for his acts. A substantive account of this devil’s rationality can and shall be developed on the basis of Kant’s approach to practical agency in general. In this sense, understood as a rational being capable of end-setting under practical laws, a devil would have to be taken as an egotistical being who systematically acts out of self-interest. Under this presupposition, and at least from a juridical point of view in Kant, the hypothesis of a nation of devils offers a more interesting case for analysis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Studia Kantiana
Published
2025-08-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v23i2.100471
Primary Topic
History of Science and Medicine
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Would devils be devils with theoretical reason alone under a Kantian account?

Gehad Marcon Bark
Studia Kantiana
History of Science and Medicine
article

Would devils be devils with theoretical reason alone under a Kantian account?

Gehad Marcon Bark
article en

Abstract

This paper focuses on Kant’s Towards Perpetual Peace famous statement according to which the problem of the State can be solved even for a race of devils, at least if they possess understanding. Its aim is to show that, despite Kant’s phrasing, understood as possessing the power of understanding alone, a devil would not be evil, nor accountable for his acts. A substantive account of this devil’s rationality can and shall be developed on the basis of Kant’s approach to practical agency in general. In this sense, understood as a rational being capable of end-setting under practical laws, a devil would have to be taken as an egotistical being who systematically acts out of self-interest. Under this presupposition, and at least from a juridical point of view in Kant, the hypothesis of a nation of devils offers a more interesting case for analysis.

Studia KantianaVol. 23(2)
Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR)
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Universidade Federal do Paraná
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
History of Science and Medicine
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