Library

The Science of Right

Immanuel Kant

W. Hastie (1887)

Kant's The Science of Right (1797), the first part of his Metaphysics of Morals and given here in W. Hastie's 1887 translation, applies the moral philosophy of the Groundwork to law and the state. Right, Kant argues, is the condition under which the free choice of each can coexist with the freedom of all under a universal law. He grounds property, contract, and the family in 'Private Right,' and the state, punishment, and international order in 'Public Right,' providing a rational foundation for the rule of law and the republican constitution.

Start readingYour notebookShow in graph

Contents

  1. Part I
  2. Part II
  3. Part III
    1. Chapter FIRST
    2. Chapter SECOND
    3. Chapter THIRD
  4. Part IV
  5. Part V