As a political philosopher, Kant has until recently been

overshadowed by his compatriots Hegel and Marx. With his

strong defense of the rights of the person and his deep

insight into the strengths and weaknesses of modern society

Kant, possibly more than any other political thinker,

anticipated the problems of the late twentieth century.

Kant's political philosophy, wedded as it is to rights,

reform and gradual progress, is emerging from the shadows

cast by Hegelian and Marxist thinking about the state.

In this volume, thirteen distinguished contributors from the

United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany cast light on

important aspects of Kant's liberal thinking. Key topics

covered include Kant's liberal reformism, his relation with

Hegel, his attitude to women, the use of reason, revolution,

Kant's optimism and his moral and legal rigorism.

Howard Williams is a reader in political theory in the

Department of International Politics, University College of

Wales, Aberystwyth. His previous publications include

Kant's Political Philosophy, Concepts of

Ideology, and Hegel, Heraclitus, and Marx's

Dialectic.