Understanding Enlightenment: Dare to Use Your Reason

Enlightenment: *Sapere Aude*

The Core Idea of Enlightenment

The central theme of the Enlightenment is encapsulated in the Latin phrase, *Sapere Aude*! (Dare to use your own intelligence!). Enlightenment signifies humanity's departure from self-imposed immaturity. It is the liberation of one's reason from external control and the courage to think independently.

Obstacles to Enlightenment

Several factors hinder the path to Enlightenment:

• Laziness and Cowardice: These traits prevent individuals from embracing intellectual freedom and relying on their own judgment.
• The Comfort of Guidance: While nature has endowed us with the capacity for reason, many remain in a state of immaturity due to laziness and cowardice. It is more comfortable and less risky to let others think and make decisions for us.
• The Role of Tutors: As a result of the above, individuals often rely on "tutors" to guide their thoughts and actions.
• The Purpose of Education: Educators should not dictate what to think but rather empower individuals to think for themselves, fostering intellectual independence.

Enlightenment, Prejudice, and the Encyclopedia

Enlightened thinking aims to dismantle prejudices that obstruct progress. While economic and political prejudices might be addressed through revolution, a true revolution of thought requires more than just a change in systems. A new way of thinking is needed, one that actively challenges existing prejudices. To facilitate this, a new encyclopedia will be instrumental in disseminating enlightened ideas to the public.

Key Concepts

• Minority Status (Immaturity)

  Minority status, or immaturity, is the inability to use one's own reason without the guidance of another. According to Kant, this state is often self-imposed due to laziness and cowardice. It is a comfortable state that allows individuals to remain under the dominance of others.

• Enlightenment (Clarification)

  Enlightenment, or clarification, is the process of daring to think independently. It involves the free use of reason, liberated from intellectual and religious impositions, and applied to all aspects of life.

• Reason

  Reason is an innate human characteristic, the capacity for independent thought. Kant distinguishes between two uses of reason:

  • Theoretical Reason: Understanding how things are.
  • Practical Reason: Guiding one's actions and behavior.

• Public Use of Reason

  The public use of reason involves exercising one's own reasoning and expressing opinions freely. Any proposal for societal change should be presented publicly through reasoned argumentation.