What Is Enlightenment

5 Pages 1147 Words

What is enlightenment? Immanuel Kant attempts to shed light on the meaning of enlightenment while writing the essay, “What is Enlightenment?”. This document was written in response to political and social changes brought about by King Frederick of Prussia. The goal of Kant’s essay was to discuss what the nature of enlightenment was. It also taught people how enlightenment can be brought about within the overall public. Kant explains that, “enlightenment is man’s release from his self-imposed immaturity” (Kant 85). Kant’s use of Immaturity seems to more in reference with the idea if self-imposed tutelage which is man’s lack of ability to have direction for himself, and needs a guardian or tutor. In other words, enlightenment is the development of a society through there own rational thoughts and educated analysis. Kant feels that if we are going to free ourselves from tutelage then we must be able to use our freedom whenever we want. “One c a try to revolt but it’s without doubt going to fail. One can try to put an end to tutelage and then become the tutor themselves”(@@@@). This revolution will not lead to enlightenment, but rather lead to more tutelage. One ruler said that the coming about of enlightenment will only arrive if you, “Argue as much as you will, and about what you will, but obey!” (Kant 87). In short, this means you can argue but you can’t revolt. Kant seemed to take this into account when discussing what will bring about enlightenment. Kant states, “The public use of one's reason must always be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among mankind; the private use of reason may, however, often be very narrowly restricted, without otherwise hindering the progress of enlightenment. By the public use of one's own reason I understand the use that anyone as a scholar makes of reason before the entire literate world. I call the private use of reason that which a person may make in a civi...