The idea of universal human rights was profoundly shaped in the Enlightenment. Yet only few at that time truly demanded equal rights and freedoms for all.
Kant was writing in a time of intense social debates: the revolutionary guiding ideas of the Enlightenment, such as freedom and reason, were indeed formulated in universal terms, yet often took Europeans and men as the standard. Increasingly voices were raised calling for the abolition of slavery, for women’s rights, or for the legal equality of Jews. How did Kant position himself? And how do the discussions of that time continue to influence us today?