Is Progress Possible? Moral Improvement in Kant’s Renewed Attempt

Abstract

This article seeks to understand the possibility of moral improvement in human social history through a close interpretation of Kant’s A Renewed Attempt to Answer the Question: Is the Human Race Continually Improving? The article examines the ways in which Kant’s arguments in this final piece, while often overlooked, complicate his philosophy of history as put forward in earlier works. Through this comparison, one sees important complications in Kant’s thoughts on the philosophy of history at the end of his career, conceding that rightful progress towards a global republicanism is the most we can be sure of. This concession is striking considering Kant’s ambitious goal at the outset to demonstrate the theoretical certainty of moral progress, going well beyond the practical optimism he advocates in earlier works. Yet, despite this concession, Kant is still optimistic about the possibility of moral progress at the end of the piece. This article suggests that Kant’s Renewed Attempt is best understood as a window into Kant’s grappling with the difficulties of constructing a philosophy of history that is consistent with his moral philosophy. By doing so, the text reveals underappreciated complexities of Kant’s practical thought.