According to Kant , wars are an expression of antagonism (opposition) between states.War is a natural thing, and peace is not. Therefore, according to Kant, one must look for a way to deal with this natural antagonism that makes people fight. ("Abstaining from hostile action is not yet a guarantee of peace," Kant).
In order to overcome this hostility, something artificial must be created - a common treaty that encompasses all and guarantees the normal existence among people, and in this treaty all must be treated as "moral persons" (which applies not only to the people, but for the peoples).Basic Ideas in "Towards Eternal Peace": Eternal peace, according to Kant, should not be based on the power of one or several states over the others. In the introductory articles of this treaty there should be no permanent arrangements that will form the basis for future hostilities.
Peace must be based on voluntary constraints between the parties, not the power of one country over another.Eternal peace, according to Kant, can not be based on anything other than the inviolability of the state (in the structure and management of a country). No state can fit into the device of another.In order for a country to be a reliable party to this treaty, it must be built to give freedom to its members within itself.
For an extremely important question, Kant sees the question of federation as a union of states united by the voluntary acceptance of the rules in their relations. The diminishing of preconceptions among peoples leads to a reduction in hostility. Kant prescribes an increase in dialogue, contacts, relationships, trade, as a method of approaching the idea of eternal peace. Nowadays Huntington argues that "convergence" leads not only to peace, but also to war ("Clash of Civilizations").In Kant, politics must be subordinate to morality. If not, that would be the basis for self-destructive action, the reversal of politics against herself.
