Project for a Perpetual Peace: A Prussian Philosopher's Practical Peace Plan

Philosopher Immanuel Kant lived from 1720 to 1804 in Konigsberg, Prussia in northern Germany. Or, if you'd rather: The industrious intellectual Immanuel Kant came from cold, cozy Konigsberg, purporting to publish a practical peace plan.

Some historical background on Kant should help: Konigsberg, which is now called Kaliningrad, Russia, was in Kant's time the capital of eastern Prussia, part of the proud "Kingdom of Prussia." The Kingdom of Prussia reached its peak of power and influence in the 18^th and 19^th centuries under Frederick I and Frederick II, the latter of whom was also hailed as the majestic "Frederick the Great."

Under Frederick, Kant's Prussian nation acquired a large amount of artistic and cultural capital and became the leading state among the German states. It controlled vast territories in Poland, Russia and Germany. Prussia was finally dissolved after WWII in the last century after ushering Germany onto the world scene as an organized nation.

Prussia was famous for its deep devotion to its armies and to military virtue. The pithy (and also anti-war) French author and philosopher Voltaire once observed of Prussia, "Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state!" Voltaire also described Prussia as "...Sparta in the morning, and Athens in the afternoon" for its harmony of military prowess and artistic pursuits.

This all makes the short pamphlet published by a Konigsberg philosopher in 1795 appear rather bizarre. For one thing, it called for the abolition of all standing armies. The author, Immanuel Kant, was known better as the author of long, academic mega-books, not short, readable pamphlets. He was also not known as a revolutionary or a utopian. We shall see that the ideas in his pamphlet were more really more practical than revolutionary.

The goal of the little Perpetual Peace pamphlet was to lay out the conditions under which lasting peace among a group of nations may be pursued. This was probably meant to apply most directly to the European nations of Kant's time. The European nations shared nearby borders, overlapped in culture and languages, and had practically every interest intertwined with those of its continental neighbors. However, since Kant never explicitly limits the pamphlet to Europe, it may be taken to apply to the world at large.

In a continent known for its perpetual power struggles and wars, perpetual peace may seem like a utopian dream. Kant's own lifetime included the bloody French Revolution and the lengthy Napoleonic Wars, as well as wars between Prussia and its neighbors Austria and Russia. But Kant was a practical man, a realist; he meant for this peace to be, above all, workable. The pamphlet reads like a how-to manual. He was even encouraged by the French Revolution despite the bloodshed; he saw the revolution as advancing the cause of popular sovereignty and constitutional government.

As a practical man, Kant held the premise that peace is simply more desirable than war. The costs of war outweigh the benefits, even for the "winner." In war, innumerable young men are killed or injured, great national debt is incurred, and tremendous economic productivity is lost to fuel the cause of the war. Territory may be gained, but it comes with more troubles than benefits. For one thing, it is war-torn, often severely damaged land and countryside, full of people who will resist their new government and be a hassle to govern.

Thus, the costs of war outweigh the benefits, even for the winner, much more so for the loser. By contrast, peaceful and amicable relations, coupled with fair and open trade, is beneficial to both nations and has no such costs associated with it. Peaceful trade and association are beneficial for both parties involved; war is a losing choice for both sides.

Establishing that war is undesirable, Kant sets out to show how we can maintain a peace that is a lasting peace, not just a brief cessation of fire. The first step in the project is to make sure that 6 necessary preconditions are taken care of. These are essential to getting the ball rolling in the right direction. Think of them, in today's vocabulary, as six important government "reforms."

The Six Reforms

1. The first reform is to abandon all treaties that do not address land grievances that may be used for future wars. So, for example, if Prussia thinks a certain piece of land belongs to itself rather than to Austria, it must resolve this issue with Austria openly, and only after such resolution can a treaty between the two nations be considered valid.

2. The second reform is that nations must agree to stop annexing territories through marriages and other sneaky diplomatic means. These practices create unrest and potential land disputes, and these in turn lead to war.

3. The third reform is the abolition of all standing armies. Standing armies - paid, professional, year-round soldiers - get restless and start competing with each other, Kant argues. Such competition, for example the Cold War Arms Race of our own time, could cause war. On the other hand, a country may maintain a voluntary militia for defensive purposes.

4. The fourth reform is the abolition of the practice of contracting a national debt. Kant envisioned nations that were economically independent and able to stand on their own two feet and compete in the world market.

5. The fifth condition is pretty obvious - no nation should interfere with another nation's internal government affairs. This directly insults the sovereignty of another nation and can lead to war.

6. The sixth and final condition is the abolition of extreme war-time practices such as assassinations and torture. Such things cause outrage and lead to a desire for justice through more war.

With these reforms made, Kant explains the three steps that need to be taken to build a world where there will be peace and prosperity, with no shadowy spectre of war hanging over the regular commerce and interaction that goes on between nations...

(To be continued)