The modern political category of despotism was invented during Kant’s era

Evidence

As a figure of domination, Beherrschung, it is joined in an exclusive pair by the republic (although Kant will write of Cromwell’s “despotic republic”). At times an adjective, at times the name of a regime, at times a mode of government (democratic or not), despotism is being invented (see Kant: Political Writings and Lyotard, L’enthousiasme). — Gil Anidjar, The Jew, the Arab, 1162

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines despotism as an unstable, emerging category in Kant’s political vocabulary rather than a fixed concept.
• XREF: Connects to Montesquieu’s theory of despotism as a distinct regime type and to work on the ‘invention’ of political categories like orientalism.