Crimes against humanity, humankind and the international community: reflections on Kant, Arendt and Broch

The challenge of dealing with crimes against humanity encompasses a number of technical legal and political questions. But the challenge also lies in the conceptual understanding of the content and relevance of international efforts for the prevention and prosecution of crimes against humanity. In this context, the theoretical underpinnings of the terms involved can provide some orientation into the nature, scope and significance of crimes against humanity and their connection with the concepts of humankind as a collective entity and the international community as a concrete legal manifestation and actor thereof. In order to explore this context, the following reflections will discuss some pertinent insights from Immanuel Kant, Hannah Arendt and Hermann Broch that indicate a distinct path of reasoning about crimes against humanity within the history of ideas, which in turn can provide some orientation in dealing with the present challenges.