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“An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment?”
Arguments
Dependence persists through laziness and fear.
People often possess the ability to think but prefer the comfort of letting others decide. Guardians reinforce this dependence by making independent throught seem dangerous.
Enlighentment develops through free public discussion
Thinking independently is difficult when dependence has become a habit. With freedom, independent thinkers can spread critical thinking throughout society. This takes time: a revolution can replace rules without changing people’s way of thinking.
Free criticism can coexist with performing one’s duties
People may have to obey instructions in an official role while remaining free to publicly criticize those instructions as scholars. Therefore, public reasoning need not prevent society from functioning.
No authority may premanently prevent future enlightenment
Human beings must remain able to expand knowledge and correct errors. An unchangable religious agreement would deny future generations this possibility and violate humanity’s rights.
Definitions
- Enlightenment The process of leaving intellectual dependence behind and learning to use one’s own understanding.
- Immaturity Inability to use one’s intellect without any other directiopns. Kant means intellectual dependence, nothing to do with being young and arrogant.
- Immaturty (Self-Incured) Dependence caused by a lack of balls rather than being retarded. Guardians help
- Sapere aude “Dare to know”
- Guardians People who direct others judgment. They keep dependence when they discourage independent thinking.
- Public use of reason Addressing the wider reading public as a scholar. Kant argues this must be free.
- Private use of reason Reasoning within an institutional or similar role, a priest speaking on behalf of his church i.e.
- Age of enlightenment Period towards independent thinking; reaching capacity.