Kurt Hubert Against The Third ReichA Kantian Analysis

  1. Fernando Centenera Sánchez-Seco
Zeitschrift:
Archiv für Rechts-und Sozialphilosophie, ARSP

ISSN: 0001-2343

Datum der Publikation: 2016

Ausgabe: 102

Nummer: 4

Seiten: 532-550

Art: Artikel

Andere Publikationen in: Archiv für Rechts-und Sozialphilosophie, ARSP

Zusammenfassung

A professor of philosophy at the University of Munich, Kurt Huber formed part of the White Rose movement and was executed in 1943 for his opposition to the Nazi regime. His is a particularly interesting case for political philosophy, because in his last statement Huber invokes Kant's categorical imperative to justify his action. His claim, however, invites reflection, since Kantian philosophy has generally been considered the paradigm of submission to power. The purpose of this study is to attempt to answer the question of whether Huber's opposition to the Third Reich was indeed consistent with Kantian thought. To this end, an analysis is conducted of his writing (mainly his last statement but also the leaflets distributed by the White Rose), in the light of an interpretation of Kantian thought.