For some years now the dark sides of Kant's philosophy have been the centre of attention. Not
only have accusations of racism damaged Kant's reputation but the humanity and moral integrity
of his thinking has also been called into question. In contrast Hans Friedrich Fulda's legacy
provides a decidedly lucid interpretation of Kant. Kant is revealed as a thinker radically
critical of domination who sees no absolute necessity for political power to be concentrated in
and wielded by a state. Martin Welsch reconstructs this position of Kantian anarchism and
recognises its relevance to constitutional law. At the same time he shows the price that the
"bright" interpretation of Kant has to pay. The splitting off of the inhuman aspects of Kant's
philosophy must take the return of the repressed into the bargain. Instead Welsch sees Kant as
a thinker of the dialectic of enlightenment avant la lettre. Kant's late theory of law deals
with the connection between the light and dark sides of an only supposedly pure reason of
domination.
