Homo politicus. Between the tendency to evil and the will to reason

The paper highlights Jaspers’ multifaceted approach to politics, beginning with his philo- sophical exploration of the moral implications of the concept of evil. The analysis unfolds in three steps. The first section briefly outlines Jaspers’ position within the classical philo- sophical tradition regarding the moral disposition of human beings. In the second part, the strong influence of Kant’s concept of evil is traced through reference to selected writings of Jaspers (such as Religion within the Limits of Pure Reason and The Radical Evil in Kant). Finally, the implications of this “Kantian” approach for Jaspers’ conception of poli- tics – which combines realistic anthropology with a rational faith in human reason – are examined. This leads to a clarification of how Jaspers defines the role of politics and the re- sponsabilities of homo politicus. At the same time, it offers insight into Jaspers’ distinctive position within the landscape of twentieth-century political philosophy.