What is Enlightenment, according to his essay? After examining the causes of the lack of enlightenment, Kant examines the conditions that must be met in order for enlightenment to occur. Kant goes on to address the public and private uses of reason and makes an argument for how each can lead to enlightenment. He clarifies that a person uses logic in the public interest when they use it in their capacity as scholars to educate the public. On the other hand, private thinking is what a person employs while working for the government. (Kant, 1963. p. 5, para. 38). Kant stresses that, in order to realize enlightenment in both private and public use of reason, freedom is required. Basing on this fact, Kant notes that, there is hardly any freedom in private reasoning and this may at times hinder the attainment of enlightenment. He explains this by giving various examples of persons involved in private use of reason such as a soldier, a tax payer and a priest.
In all these cases, the individuals are bound and governed by certain rules and regulations pertaining to their particular doctrines. As such, these people can only apply their private use of reasoning to accomplish their duties and no more. They must abide by and obey the institutions that govern them, hence their private use of reason is limited. However, the same people when outside their official duties can now freely express themselves, even air their dissatisfactions about their workplaces, as their public use of reasoning (pp. 5-6, para. 38). According to Kant, “the public use of one’s reason must be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among men” (Kant, 1963, p. 5, para. 38). Therefore, in my opinion, public use of reason is more relevant for Enlightenment as compared to private use of reasoning. In conclusion, enlightenment comes about when an individual is able to articulate their thoughts and opinions freely so as to make progress and positive impact within the society.
The Relevance of Kant's 1783 Essay for YOU in 2015
Kant is one of the greatest thinkers in history and is known for his various works including his essay on “what is enlightenment” which sets the base for enlightenment. Kant’s essay, despite being written several years ago, is still relevant for me and to the modern society at large. One of the things that Kant discusses in the essay is how laziness, cowardice and immaturity can hamper the progress of enlightenment. According to Kant, most human beings do not make use of their understanding and this results to them being controlled and steered by other beings (p. 3, para. 35-36). What this basically means is that, most people, even in today’s society, greatly rely on others for decision making. This is true especially when you look at the social and political aspects of our lives. For instance, relying on authority, be it teachers, lawyers or political figures, has blocked most people’s critical thinking as they cannot form their own opinions. This reliance on others has then becomes a habit that with time has become hard to break as the people have begun developing fear of making mistakes which will portray their way of thinking. The people have become cowards. Others have become too lazy to use their understanding and would rather pay for anything they want done (p. 3, para. 35).
Another good example is the use of internet and mass media for information. The politicians are really making good use of these tools to spread their points and information across the society. This is what Kant would refer to in his essay as the ‘guardian’. The greater part of the population have grown so lazy that they rely on media and the internet in general to tell them of what to reason. This is a display of immaturity on the part on the population. We should quickly mature and stop relying on technology and taking everything that the media tells us as the truth. We need to question, verify, expose any discrepancies and discredit false information without fear and with vigor just as Kant puts it, “Argue as much as you will, and about what you will…” (Kant, 1963, p. 5, para. 57). That way, we will be relying on our own thinking and that is a step toward enlightenment. In a nutshell, most of what Kant discussed in his essay, is still applicable in today’s society.
Reference
Kant, I. (1963). What is Enlightenment. In L. W. Beck, On History: Immanuel Kant (pp. 3-10). New York: The Bobbs Merrill Company.
