"Unsocial sociability" as Kant’s contribution to discussions of human nature

Recenzowane materiały z konferencji naukowej: Nowożytne rozważania o naturze ludzkiej, dn. 5-6 grudnia 2008 r., Kraków. Strona wydawcy: https://www.wuj.pl

This article is an attempt at examining Kant’s concept of Unsocial sociability, which is to be found in his essay Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View (Idee zu einer allgemeinen Geschichte in weltbürgerlicher Absicht). Unsocial sociability (die unge sellige Geselligkeit der Menschen) seems an intriguing combination of two opposing theses, claiming human nature to be either social or individual in character when considered from the point of view of political philosophy. Seemingly, Kant is playing the role of a philosophical peacemaker trying to reconcile these two attitudes. However, it must be considered that the concept of "unsocial sociability" appears in Kant's works only once and the philosopher generally seems to approve the idea that a human being is an egoist and only Nature (in Kant’s understanding) becomes the factor that somehow forces him or her to consider his or her sociability.