The Philosophy of Law: An Exposition of the Fundamental Principles of Jurisprudence As the Science of Right

Originally published: Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1887. xxxvi, 265 pp. Published in 1797, The Philosophy of Law [Rechtslehre] stands as one of the most significant late works by the great Prussian philosopher. Though he lived in an atmosphere of political and social repression, it is evident that Kant [1724-1804] was sensitive to the revolutionary spirit that was spreading throughout Europe in the wake of Napoleon's armies. Claiming that man is born with reason and an innate desire for freedom, he argued that the union of these natural gifts could bring about a new sense of order and harmony in future generations. This edition also reprints Kant's later Supplementary Explanations (1797), which was added to the second edition (1798).