The political-normative implications of the deontological demarcation between law and ethics in The metaphysics of morals

Abstract

Faced with the most widespread receptions in contemporary normative political philosophy of Kantian practical thought, this article argues that in Metaphysics of Morals Kant establishes a series of reasons that explain why the possibility of finding ethical justifications for political issues is banned. The deontological demarcation between ethics and law in Kant's mature philosophy, supported by several interpreters, therefore challenges the main appropriations of his ethics to deal with eminently legal-political issues such as property. Ultimately, the Kantian discussion regarding the traditions of the social contract and natural law regarding private acquisition exhibits with sufficient precision the specificity of Kantian legal-political metaphysics and even the extra or supra-legal scope that the latter contains.