Introduction

There is an undeniable semblance between the poem of Alfred Tennyson and the cosmopolitan philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Although Kant was hardly an aficionado of poetry, it would be difficult to imagine him unable to appreciate the cosmopolitan vision for perpetual peace expressed within Tennyson's work. The semblance comes from a shared belief that the consistent ravishing of conflict will provide a motivation for humanity to finally realize the common destruction caused by war and seek a truly lasting peace. As Tennyson implies, it is through “common sense,” or in Kant's terminology practical reason, that universal principles could be understood and created. From this premise, Tennyson insinuates that the world should be organized into a kind of lawful federation, where various states are united by a dedication to peaceful coexistence and mutual security. Lastly, Tennyson contends that if humans are to enjoy a perpetual world peace, then some form of universal law must be established in order to codify mutual recognition and to regulate the peaceful coexistence of various peoples.