In Time, or Too Late, for Kant? Kant-Derived Cosmopolitan Theory Beyond Post-Colonial Critique.

The article examines the viability of Immanuel Kant’s cosmopolitan thought for contemporary social theory, particularly in light of post-colonial critiques that highlight Kant’s Eurocentrism and alleged racism. It argues that despite these criticisms, key Kantian ideas—such as the intertwined normative and empirical dimensions of cosmopolitanism, the notion that humanity learns from catastrophic mistakes, and the unintended emergence of cosmopolitan phenomena—remain conceptually valuable. The sociological elaborations of Kantian cosmopolitanism by Émile Durkheim and Ulrich Beck demonstrate how these themes can be adapted to analyze modern global conditions, including globalization and shared global risks. However, the article concludes with a cautionary note on the potential extinction of the human species due to climate change, which could render Kantian cosmopolitanism’s optimistic vision moot.