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HowardWilliams
Tosumup,therearetwoaspectstoKant’sviewsonindependence.Inde-
pendencehasaneconomicandapoliticalaspect.Toenjoyeconomicindepend-
enceanindividualhastobeanadultmalewhooweshisexistencetonoone
otherthanhimself.Thisdoesnotmeanthattheindividualhasalwaystobeself-
employed,nordoesitmeanforKantthatallself-employedpeopleareinde-
pendent.Kantappearstohaveinmindakindofeconomicindependencethat
allowstheindividualtochoosewhoheworksforandtodetermineforhimself
theconditionsunderwhichheworks.Kantappearstobelieve,forexample,that
Universityprofessorsbelongtotherankoftheindependentalthoughinhisday
theywereallemployedbythestate.Thekeyconditionseemstobethateco-
nomicallyindependentindividualscanregardthemselvesasservingnoone
otherthanthestate.Undersuchconditionshigherstateofficialswoulddoubtless
alsoberegardedasindependent.Anindependentindividualmusthavesome
propertywithwhichtosupporthimself.Kantdefinesthiselementofproperty
verybroadlytoinclude“anyskill,trade,fineartorscience”
14sothatverymany
peoplemightaspiretotheclass.Butwage-workersareexcludedbecausetheir
abilitytolabouriswhollyalienatedandplacedinthehandsofanother.Tobe
independentyoumustbeable,aswehaveseen,toexercisesomefreedomabout
thewayinwhichyouchoosetoexerciseyourskill.
Thesecondrespectinwhichyouenjoyindependence(andthisforKantis
thecrucialaspect)isthatyouplayapartinmakingthelawsofthecommon-
wealth.Aboveall,anindependentindividualregardshimselfasaco-legislator
withinthecommonwealth.Independenceisthekeyfeatureofthekindofcom-
monwealththatKantrecommends.“Anywaytogiveustheideaofacommon-
wealththeideasofexternalfreedom,equalityandtheunityofthewillsofall
mustcometogether.Independenceistheprecondition(ifthefirsttwo,equality
andlibertyaretakentogether)toattainthelatter,sincevotingiscalledfor.This
basiclawwhichemanatesonlyfromtheuniversal(united)willofthepeo-
ple/nationiscalledtheoriginalcontract.”
15IndependenceforKantconfersre-
sponsibilitiesandobligations.Wearenotindependenttodowhatwelike;we
areindependentbecausewesharetheresponsibilityofdevisingruleswhichare
tobebindingforallinourcommunity.Independenceonlycomeswithin
aframeworkofrulesthatweacceptasourown.Itisnotitselfacompleteab-
senceofrestraint,butratheranacceptanceofcertainobligationswhichallows
ustoactwithoutrestraintincertainspecifieddirections.Throughindependence
weforgeourownfreedom.AsHobbesstresses,weareatlibertyinspheres
wherethelawissilent.InKant’sunderstandingofatruecommonwealthwe
specifythosesilencesforourselves.
IfwetakethetwodimensionsofKant’snotionofindependencetogether
whatismostsurprisingabouthisunderstandingofitishisacceptancethatthere
arecertainhistoricalandsocialprerequisitesfortheemergenceofindependence.
14Kant,WerkeVIII,p.295;Kant’sPoliticalWritings,p.78.
15Kant,WerkeVIII,p.295;Kant’sPoliticalWritings,p.77(Thetranslationherevariesfrom
thatofNisbet).
