Abstract

The writing Über den Gemeinspruch (1793) is especially important within the framework of Kantian thought; its understanding requires a fresh interpretation. In this brief piece, Kant presents for the very first time the tenets of his political-juridical reflection, although returning to the themes that he had been exploring in writings and lectures during the 1780s, as it is now possible to document. Moreover, the 1793 writing proposes a nuanced position on the French Revolution, revealing Kant’s ambivalent attitude towards it.