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Fall 2016

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 31, Number 3

Categories: Fall 2016 | Liberalism | Taxation

Kant and Classical Liberalism: Friends or Foes?

Chris W. Surprenant, University of New Orleans

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise31(3),2016,37–48KantandClassicalLiberalism:FriendsorFoes?ChrisW.Surprenant*UniversityofNewOrleans______________________________________________________AbstractThispaperexplicatesanddefendsImmanuelKant’sclaimsthatrespectforindividualfreedomjustifiestaxationtosupportthepooronlytotheextentthatindividualsreceivingassistancearebroughtuptothelevelofsubsistenceandnothingmore.IshowthatthepromotionofindividualautonomyliesatthecenterofKant’smoraltheoryandthathispoliticalphilosophyaimstoestablishandsecuretheexternalconditionsthatmakeindividualfreedompossible.AlthoughKantarguesthatonewayofsecuringtheseexternalconditionslegitimatelyisthroughcoercion,healsoclaimsthatcoercionisjustifiedonlyinthelimitedcaseswhereitisusedtohinderhindrancestofreedom.______________________________________________________JELCodes:P16,Y8Keywords:Kant,Rawls,taxation,freedom,classicalliberalismI.IntroductionManycontemporaryacademicsfamiliarwithImmanuelKant’spracticalphilosophycometoKantbywayofJohnRawls.RawlsarguesthattakingseriouslythecentraltenetsofKant’smoraltheoryrequiresapoliticalphilosophythatadvocates,amongotherthings,asignificantredistributionofresourcesandastateentitythatcanfacilitatethisredistribution.Asaresult,manyacademicsfamiliarwithKantviaRawlsincorrectlyassumethatKanthimselfadvocatedforsuchpoliticalsolutions.KantadvancesapoliticalphilosophythatisalmosttheoppositeofwhatRawlsproposes,appearingtobemoreinlinewiththetenetsofclassicalliberalismratherthantheviewsassociatedwithcontemporarypoliticalliberalism.Putdifferently,Kant’spracticalphilosophylendsitselftoatypeofliberalismthatrecognizestheimportanceofindividualfreedomandselfdetermination,buttakesthepromotionofthesevaluestojustify*MythankstoJosephReisert,AndrewJ.Cohen,J.P.Messina,andtwoanonymousreviewersfortheirhelpfulsuggestionsonpreviousdraftsofthispaper.

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Title	Kant and Classical Liberalism: Friends or Foes?
Authors/Creators:	Chris W. Surprenant, University of New Orleans
Year:	2016
Volume:	31
Number:	3
Pages:	37 - 48
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Kant, Rawls, taxation, freedom, classical liberalism

Citation:
Surprenant, Chris W. / 2016. "Kant and Classical Liberalism: Friends or Foes?." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 31(3): 37-48.