Two distinct Kantian perspectives on the foundation of human rights

Autores

  • Jacopo Morelli University of Modena-Reggio Emilia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v22i3.97428

Palavras-chave:

direitos humanos, dignidade, respeito, construtivismo, realismo moderado.

Resumo

United Nations documents establish dignity as the cornerstone of human rights, asserting that these rights “stem from the inherent dignity of the human person,” as articulated in the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights (1966). Within this context, human dignity is viewed as an intrinsic value inherent in every human being, serving as the foundation for the moral obligation to respect one another. While many scholars turn to Immanuel Kant for a philosophical analysis and validation of this concept, there is a question of consensus among Kantian scholars on this interpretation. This article aims to explore how two perspectives, both claiming Kantian paternity – the Dignity approach and Kantian constructivism – arrive at differing conclusions regarding the foundational nature of human rights. I will focus respectively on Luigi Caranti’s Dignity approach and Oliver Sensen’s constructivist reading, to show how the two frameworks deploy different conceptions on how dignity can truly ground human rights. In the end, I will also suggest a potential common ground between the two perspectives.

Referências

ALLISON, H. E. Morality and freedom: Kant’s reciprocity thesis. The Philosophical Review, v. 95, n. 3, pp. 393–425, 1986.

CARANTI, L. Kant’s political legacy: human rights, peace, progress. University of Wales Press, 2019. Available at: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/K/bo26510890.html. Accessed in: Nov. 2023.

CARANTI, L. Kant’s theory of human rights. In: Handbook of Human Rights. Routledge, 2011.

ENGSTROM, S. The form of practical knowledge: a study of the categorical imperative. Harvard University Press, 2009. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/9780674053793/html. Accessed in: Jan. 2024.

KORSGAARD, C. M. The sources of normativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Available at:https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/sources-of-normativity/5A85034A6566FDFDE374073A015CBD2A. Accessed in: Sept. 2023.

O’NEILL, O. Constructions of reason: explorations of Kant’s practical philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/constructions-of-reason/9F0CB0C6FDEF79ED8F40439952F9F2EF. Accessed in: Oct. 2023.

RAWLS, J. Rational and full autonomy: Kantian constructivism in moral theory. The Journal of Philosophy, v. 77, n. 9, pp. 515–535, 1980.

SCHNEEWIND, J. B. The invention of autonomy: a history of modern moral philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

SENSEN, O. Kant on human dignity. Berlin / NY: De Gruyter, 2011. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110267167/html. Accessed in: May 2023.

SENSEN, O. Kant’s constitutivism. In: Realism and antirealism in Kant’s moral philosophy: New essays. Berlin / NY: De Gruyter, 2017. pp. 197–222. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110574517-009/html. Accessed in: Feb. 2024.

Downloads

Publicado

2025-03-31

Como Citar

Morelli, J. (2025). Two distinct Kantian perspectives on the foundation of human rights. Studia Kantiana, 22(3), 85–94. https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v22i3.97428

Edição

Seção

Artigos