The Social Authority of Reason

The Social Authority of Reason Synopsis

Explores the social ramifications of Kant's concept of radical evil.

In The Social Authority of Reason, Philip J. Rossi, SJ argues that the current cultural milieu of globalization is strikingly reflective of the human condition appraised by Kant, in which mutual social interaction for human good is hamstrung by our contentious "unsociable sociability." He situates the paradoxical nature of contemporary society-its opportunities for deepening the bonds of our common human mutuality along with its potential for enlarging the fissures that arise from our human differences-in the context of Kant's notion of radical evil. As a corrective, Rossi proposes that we draw upon the social character of Kant's critique of reason, which offers a communal trajectory for human moral effort and action. This trajectory still has power to open the path to what Kant called "the highest political good"-lasting peace among nations.