There have been many studies on Kant’s Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Aim （UH） that have tried not only to give or find its significance through careful reading. Relative insufficient is the historical study. We analyze thus the in 18th century popular debate on “vocation of man （Bestimmung des Menschen）”, and Mendelssohn’s and Garve’s thoughts in order to find historical contexts of UH.
The first context is the discussion by Mendelssohn （,Spalding, and Abbt） in the theme of “vocation of man”. Mendelssohn argues that this “vocation” is to gain our perfection both according to God’s intention and through our own endeavor to develop our faculties in the soul. He insists also that the “vocation” should be firstly fulfilled in the whole, not in each. Still, in a different way from Kant’s UH, Mendelssohn understood this whole world not as a mankind in this earth, but such that exists now and after death.
The second context is Garve’s Cicero. In this book he develops the idea that mankind advances according to the “providence” and achieves the peaceful political system in international society. He uses same concepts as Kant, like “providence” “cosmopolitan citizens” or so. Indeed, Garve’s argument is very similar to UH. However, on the one hand Garve recognizes morality in our prudence only, on the other Kant does it therfore, in our pure practical reason, in the higher rank than prudence. For Kant, Garve’s historical philosophy is slipped up unless it is based on the morality.
