What is Enlightenment?

Immanuel Kant defines enlightenment as a “man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity” Kleingeld, 2006 p, 17). Kant uses the term immaturity to mean “the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 17). He adds and says that the kind of immaturity he is referring to is “self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 17). Kant argues that laziness is one factor that causes men to remain lifelong immaturity long after being released from what he calls “naturaliter maiorennes” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 17). What is Enlightenment? Read more

Immanuel Kant notes that it is almost impossible for individuals to work themselves out of the immaturity state that “has become second nature to him” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 18). However, he observes that few individuals make it out of the immaturity state. He says, “there are only few individuals who have succeeded through their own intellectual toil in emerging from immaturity who still walk confidently” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 18). Kant notes that individuals who have previously been under the yoke of immaturity are more likely to compel others to remain in the immaturity life stage. This is seen as instilling prejudices, which may be harmful. Kant comments and says that “they ultimate avenge themselves on their originators or on those whose predecessors invented them” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 18). Additionally, Kant states that a revolution may work to see people out of the oppression but may not “bring out a genuine reform in thinking” (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 18). Kant concludes that this is an age of enlightenment as individuals can think about situations such as religion without being controlled or directed by others (Kleingeld, 2006 p, 22) What is Enlightenment?