This paper explores what Kant means by philosophy according to a school-concept and philosophy according to a world-concept and what each contributes to human life. The school concept can provide technical skills to reach any end one wishes, but only the cosmical concept can guide us in choosing among ends. Kant’s orientation to the world at large also leads him to speak of philosophy in a ‘cosmopolitan sense’ and this is elaborated in his writings on anthropology and history. While Kant sometimes gives the impression that the cosmical and cosmopolitan approaches converge, it will be argued that his conception of cosmical philosophy involves the expectation of human wisdom and moral maturity that cosmopolitan philosophy cannot provide.