In the age of Enlightenment, Europeans expanded their colonial domination over other countries and peoples. The transatlantic slave trade reached its height. Criticism only emerged late, yet Enlightenment ideas also contributed to the abolition of slavery.
Kant’s ethics is based on the freedom and equality of the human being. In his later writings he criticized colonialism. At the same time, he devalued non-European cultures and considered them incapable of progress in civilizational and moral respects. How these thoughts relate to one another is a matter of ongoing critical debate today.