In this article I argue that Kant’s understanding of the universality of radical evil is best understood in the context of human sociality. Because we are inherently social beings, the nature of the human community we find ourselves in has a determinative influence on the sorts of persons we are, and the kinds of choices we can make. We always begin in evil. This does not vitiate responsibility, since through reflection we can become aware of our situation and envision ourselves as members of a different community, one with different expectations, making genuine virtue possible. This understanding of radical evil helps to make sense of Kant’s high regard for the church in Religion.

在本文中，我认为康德对激进邪恶普遍性的理解最好在人类社会性的背景下理解。因为我们天生就是社会人，我们所处的人类社区的性质对我们是什么样的人以及我们可以做出什么样的选择有着决定性的影响。我们总是从邪恶开始。这并不会削弱责任感，因为通过反思，我们可以意识到自己的处境，并将自己想象为不同社区的成员，拥有不同的期望，从而使真正的美德成为可能。这种对激进邪恶的理解有助于理解康德在宗教中对教会的高度重视。