Erasmus School of Philosophy announces the publication of Kant on Citizenship and Poverty, a new Open-Access Element by Nicholas Vrousalis, Associate Professor in Practical Philosophy at Erasmus School of Philosophy. Published online by Cambridge in February 2026 (with print publication listed for March 2026), the Element offers a fresh interpretation of Kantian citizenship and argues that the concepts of citizenship and poverty are inseparable once we take the economy—and especially labour relations—seriously.
In Kant on Citizenship and Poverty, Vrousalis revisits Kant’s well-known triad of citizenship—freedom (Freiheit), equality (Gleichheit), and civil self-sufficiency (Selbständigkeit)—and asks what, exactly, self-sufficiency adds to the other two. The book’s central claim is that Selbständigkeit should be understood as interdependent independence: citizens must be able to use their interdependent rightful powers (including productive powers) independently of others’ private permission. On this reading, Kant’s state is best conceived not merely as a legal order but as a system of cooperative production whose legitimacy depends on whether citizens can stand as juridical equals within relations of social labour.
The Element engages influential interpretations in contemporary Kant scholarship and political philosophy, including “Toronto” liberal Kantianism, which treats poverty relief and public provision as the core Kantian remedy to dependency. While acknowledging the importance of redistribution, Vrousalis argues that Kantian independence is more demanding: even in the absence of poverty, citizens may lack independence if their working lives are structured by unilateral private discretion. This reorientation makes the Element particularly relevant for readers interested in the philosophical foundations of work, property, and democratic citizenship.
The final sections broaden the scope beyond textual interpretation. Using Kantian independence as a normative lens, the Element engages debates about socioeconomic inequality associated with Rawls and Cohen, articulates a Kant-inspired case for a “strict” reading of the difference principle, and sketches pathways from Kantian republican citizenship toward economic democracy—including the possibility that democratic authority may require public planning of investment in order to prevent structural power from overriding collective decisions.
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For more information: Eddie Adelmund (Press Officer: Adelmund@esphil.eur.nl)
