"A Transgression of Rights in One Place in the World Is Felt Everywhere"

Peaceniks, pacifists, and public policy pundits, take note: I finally got around to recording part 2 of my review of Immanuel Kant’s To Perpetual Peace. You may recall that in the first half of his philosophical sketch Kant outlines six preliminary articles for perpetual peace among nations. In the second half, which is the focus of today’s episode of BAB, he outlines three definitive articles, which relate to civil, international, and cosmopolitan right, and then concludes with various supplements and appendices (because German Enlightenment philosophers cannot stop enlightening and philosophizing). Along the way, Kant offers some interesting anthropological perspectives on Barbary Coast pirates, Bedouin marauders, the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture, the commercial significance of salt and iron, and the influence of Tibetan religion on the Greek mystery cult at Eleusis. Press play above for the unabridged audio version of the pod and/or watch the slideshow on my YouTube channel:

As always, please like, share, comment, etc.

Show Notes

• In case you missed it, here’s the video for part 1:

• I ask again: Has World War III already begun?

• It’s not clear to me how the “enlightened absolutism” practiced by Frederick “the Great”—and apparently endorsed by Kant—could lead to perpetual peace among nations. According to Wikipedia, the King of Prussia fought “many wars,” which included at least 22 battles and sieges.

• Aleister Crowley’s hashish-inspired artwork for his book Konx Om Pax: Essays in Light appears (slightly off-center) in the slideshow, but I reproduce it here because, well, it’s awesome:

• I’ve got a stack of books on my desk, any one of which could be the focus of the next episode of BAB:

  - My Heart Laid Bare (Charles Baudelaire)
  - Prejudential (Margaret Kimberley)
  - Rogue State (William Blum)
  - 1971: Never a Dull Moment (David Hepworth)
  - The Interpretation of Dreams (Sigmund Freud)
  - The Tao of Physics (Fritjof Capra)
  - The Buddha of Suburbia (Hanif Kureishi)
  - The Man Who Fell to Earth (Walter Tevis)
  - Fingerprints of the Gods (Graham Hancock)

What’s your preference, book-burner?