Abstract:

In “The Universal Concept of History from the Perspective of World Citizens”, Kant puts forward the famous “crooked timber” puzzle, believing that the paradox reflected in it is the most difficult problem and the final problem that can be solved by mankind. Accordingly, Kant systematically interprets the complex interactive relationship between individual freedom and social legal order by using the core metaphors of “crooked timber” and “straight wood in the forest”, which seem to be contradictory. The metaphor of “crooked timber” can also be regarded as a variation of Plato’s “cave metaphor” describing human perceptual defects. It implies that man, above all, is an existence in the order of nature, which is an empirical issue concerning “what it is in reality”, that is, “what human beings are in practice”, whereas “straight wood” demonstrates a value pursuit of “what it should be”, that is “what human beings should be like”. It shows that individuals’ potential to develop independent personality in social community and hence highlights human beings’ individuality, awareness of being independent, human dignity and value. The metaphors of “crooked timber” and “straight wood” together with other subordinate metaphors help to approach Kant’s unique anthropological concept and play an important role in Kant’s reflection and reconstruction of the concept of “nature”.

Key words: crooked timber, straight wood, human nature, right, nature