A Critical Examination of the premises for Kant's Hypothesis that Citizens in Well Ordered Republics will be Adverse to Military Adventures

The hypothesis stated in the title is the hub of Kant's project for a pacific federation and it echoes in modern liberal doctrine of international relations. Kants hypothesis is based upon typical interest, not moral or legal grounds. Yet the formation of interests is more complex that Kant assumed. In Kant's doctrine only property owners are free citizens. Now also wageearners and others have citizenship. Property ownership was already in the first phase of liberalism an important factor behind colonialism and well established capitalism produce from time to time glutted markets for consumer goods with effects upon markets for capital goods, financial markets and labormarkets. Crises can be overcome by typically two strategies: one of expanding exployment and wellfare and thus consumption and one of expanding defence industries and active international expansion of liberal market conditions. Real interests of both owners and non-owners are split between these strategies. Economic burdens on the citizens can be postponed and loss of lives minimised by arial warfare. Opposition on moral or legal grounds can be countered by often untruthful propaganda. Constituional reforms are necessary, though not sufficient, for Kant's project for pacific republics ever to be realised.