Kant, What Is Enlightenment? (1784)

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Kant, What Is Enlightenment? (1784)

• A
• running commentary
• by
• Friedel Weinert

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Kant, Enlightenment

• Kants Definition
• Enlightenment emergence from self-inflicted
  immaturity.
• Immaturity inability to use ones own reason,
  without external guidance.
• Self-inflicted immaturity often due to laziness
  and cowardice of individuals. Motto for the lazy
  Sapere Aude!
• Kant proposes a Categorical Imperative of
  Thinking Examine yourself whether any particular
  idea, reason and rule can be generalised. This
  should free us from prejudices and superstitions.
• This is only the first aspect Self-emancipation

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Kant, Enlightenment

• There is a second aspect Political/social
  emancipation
• Sometimes immaturity is due to shackles imposed
  by society lack of political freedom
  dictatorship, social and intellectual
  inhibitions religious tyranny/ideologies
• Freedom to use ones reason, not political
  revolution, allows an entire public to enlighten
  itself.

• Private use of reason is restricted
• in professional functions
• disobedience would destroy order
• does not hinder public enlightenment

• Public use of reason must be free
• in learning
• in reading public
• helps enlightenment

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Kant, Enlightenment

• There is a third aspect Cultural Emancipation
• Enlightenment is not a one-off, unique effort
• The emergence from immaturity is a historical
  process
• a) on personal level sapere aude
• b) on society level education and culture

progress
The obstruction of - political and cultural
-progress would be against human nature.
Test for laws and decrees which can be imposed on
a people would a people impose such a law/decree
upon itself?
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Kant, Enlightenment

• From Generation to Generation
• It is impermissible to agree, even for a single
  lifetime, to a permanent religious constitution
  which no-one might publicly question.
• Renouncing enlightenment - shaking off of
  ignorance, increase in empirical knowledge -
  either for ones own person or for later
  generations would be a violation of the sacred
  rights of mankind.

Perfectibility
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Kant, Enlightenment

• From Monarch to People
• a monarch has no right to impose a halt in the
  enlightenment process on his people
• the monarchs legislative authority rests on the
  will of the people
• rejection of censorship
• Does Kant live in an enlightened Age?
• No, but in an age of Enlightenment
• Towards religious freedom and tolerance

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Kant, Enlightenment

• Focal Points of the Enlightenment
• Religious Matters
• Legislation
• The old tension between
• public and private use of reason