On the Philosophical Significance of National Characters. Reflections from Hume and Kant

In this essay I address the problem of how to cope with national differences philosophically. Talk about national characters may appear to roam below the threshold of any respectable philosophical argumentation. What is worse, folk beliefs concerning national characters have been occasionally steered to foster hostility or prejudice against foreign nations. Nevertheless, it is argued that the philosophical significance of national characters can be defended, in the wake of Hume and Kant. Interestingly, both great thinkers dealt with this topic within the context of a broader analysis of the concept of “character”, which is a widely debated philosophical issue. Taking the existence of some general differences among collective entities (such as nations) for granted, and yet sticking to the moral principle of individual responsibility, Hume and Kant developed different philosophical explanations for national characters.