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Reinventing Kant?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2022

Jameliah Inga Shorter-Bourhanou
Jameliah Inga Shorter-Bourhanou*
Affiliation:
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA
*
Email: jshorter@holycross.edu
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Abstract

Immanuel Kant is often interpreted as a universal egalitarian who claims that all people, regardless of their differences, are equal. This view has been challenged by several scholars including Charles Mills and Robert Bernasconi, who note the persistent racist underpinning in Kant’s work; however, the standard reading is that Kant changed his mind about race and eventually reaffirmed his universalism. By considering Charles Mills’ notion of ‘Black Radical Kantianism’, as a way of reinventing Kant, I argue that continued engagement with Kant’s universalism must go hand in hand with recognizing his racism in order to make it truly inclusive.

Keywords

KantCharles MillsKant and raceKant and racism
Type
Article
Information
Kantian Review , Volume 27 , Special Issue 4: Special Issue: Radicalizing Kant? , December 2022 , pp. 529 - 540
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Kantian Review

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