In the reading “What is Enlightenment ?” by Kant is based upon the idea of enlightenment and what prevents a man from achieving it. “Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.”(p.54, 1st paragraph) When we think immature we think, people acting like little kids. That’s why we tell people act your own age. Kant specifically thinks immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without guidance from another.(p.54, 1st paragraph) Kant believes that immaturity is one of the first steps in order to achieve enlightenment. If one doesn’t get the courage in order to speak out against things they believe than they are still immature. He believes a man should use their own understanding when doing things and listening to things. A man shouldn’t have to listen to other people when it comes to making a decision but in reality just rely on themselves. It is very hard to become mature according to Kant because 1. There are many people who already tell us what to do and 2. There are ways is which we can’t speak what we believe.
“It is so convenient to be immature.”(p.54, 2nd paragraph) Now why is it so convenient? There are many professionals out there who have taken the job over us as a person. We have doctors, spiritual advisors, and authors who write books. Basically, as long as we have money we need not to think for our self. Now imagine this was back than he was saying all this, imagine now. Now he must think the world as a whole is completely immature. Our world has prospered since his time. The problem is now we have a lot more resources. We have a doctor for everything; we have maids, teachers, religious leaders, and much more. One other thing we have is the internet. The internet allows us to put whatever we like in like Google and get answers for it. So, are we still in this day immature and have we not had an “enlightenment?”
Kant believes that in order to achieve enlightenment, “all that is needed is freedom.”(p55, 2nd paragraph) He believes freedom of speech and freedom to question or two very important aspects in order to achieve enlightenment. The reason for this is because if a person is able to question what another person says that means they’re thinking for themselves. They are no longer just going along what other people have to say but questioning so they can come up with their own belief. The one problem that comes up though, is how to do that when if someone tries to question authority they get in trouble or put in jail. In his time this was very hard. Kant knows there are restrictions everywhere but he believes that there are only certain restrictions that prevent enlightenment. I agree, you can disagree with a certain person but, you have to obey.
Lastly, Kant believes that religion is a focal point in achieving enlightenment. “rulers have no interests in assuming the role of guardians over their subjects so far as the arts and sciences are concerned, and secondly because religious immaturity is the most pernicious and dishonorable variety of all.”(p.59, paragraph 1) Now is the second statement true? Is religious immaturity the most dishonorable? I believe that it can be but, not in all cases. People are grown in to a certain belief. It is their choice whether they continue believing on it or not. Well this is in our time at least. We have the choice whether to leave or not
Kant believes that there are a lot of things preventing enlightenment and I agree. I only agree in his time. In today’s age and time that is not true. We have the freedom to say what we like we just must obey. If there weren’t rules there would be many immature people. Kant would probably agree.
