Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy and the Age of Enlightenment
Immanuel Kant’s Life and the Dawn of Enlightenment
**Immanuel Kant** was born in 1724 in Prussia. He died in 1804. Coming from a modest family of pietistic confession, Kant began teaching in 1775. He had a strong conception of duty and a pedagogical sense that led him not to teach thoughts but to teach *how* to think. After years of teaching, he showed interest in the search for a new foundation for metaphysics, based on experience. This reading gave direction to a change in his investigations. In 1781, he published “The Critique of Pure Reason”, which was followed by “The Critique of Practical Reason”. Kant died on February 12, 1804. Among his works is also the essay that this text belongs to, entitled “What is Enlightenment?”, which principally addresses this ideological and cultural movement.
The Enlightenment: A Time of Reason and Change
The Enlightenment began in 1688 and ended in 1789. The principal goal of the Renaissance was the use of reason. Among the changes that occurred was in politics, where conflicts arose between the old society and the new. Influenced by Locke’s empiricism, people began to believe in natural rights. They also believed in the dignity of consciousness, which makes human beings unique and irreplaceable. The Enlightenment was an outgrowth of England, where it did not have much development, but it served as a model for other countries.
The Enlightenment in France and its Impact
In France, the Enlightenment exploded and reached its maximum splendor. Louis XVI did not accept the enlightened changes, which led to the French Revolution. Kant was against this revolution and believed that the way people think should be changed. In France, freedom emerged, which collected the principles of the Enlightenment. Rousseau was the thinker who most influenced Kant, with his *Social Contract*, which explains the origin of the state and individual liberties.
Enlightened Despotism in Prussia
In Prussia, the Enlightenment also had importance. Furthermore, Germany had a special situation: the monarch was an absolute tyrant, but with the advent of his son, Frederick II, to the throne, the destiny of the Enlightenment changed, driving it among the people and not vice versa, as in France. Frederick abolished torture and implemented the separation of powers. He is a classical model of enlightened despotism and said, “Reason everything and whatever you want, but obey”, so he did not allow the private use of reason.
Kant’s Religious Views
Kant was not inclined to deism. He understood religion as rational and not dependent on the acceptance of the divine by human beings. He was a pietist, where everyone understands faith personally. Some are influenced by Kant’s trust in reason to emerge from the darkness of ignorance, his critical capacity, his ability to separate secularizing reason and faith, and so on.
Kant’s Concept of Freedom and the Critical Process
Kant believed that freedom is a condition for the Enlightenment and can be used to reason, or nature can be used as a means to something good. Another influence is the conception of the process. Critically, in the theory and thought of Kant, each person acts according to the beginning of the enlightened era. Thanks to some processes, humanity at that time would reach an enlightened state in which people would be completely autonomous and not in a state of minority, as in the old days.
Causes of Minority in the Modern Age
In my opinion, nowadays, among our society, we find different causes for why we have not yet reached the enlightened era. These causes were grouped in Kant’s theory as internal and external. The internal causes of the minority of age are laziness and cowardice. Laziness has not changed much since the era of Kant’s Enlightenment, and people prefer to accept what is imposed without asking “why?” because it is more comfortable to stay as things are than to assume the protest and try to change them. For example, in education, however, there is also a minority today that does not conform to things and poses, through its categorical imperative, whether something is good or not. But despite these people preferring to use reason, if they protest with radical demonstrations, they lose all reason. This is reflected in Kant’s thought: despite supporting the use of reason, he was not in agreement with the revolution.
Cowardice and Societal Influence
Another internal cause of the minority of age today is the prevalence of cowardice among young people. This cowardice appears to be a fear of being different. This cowardice can prevent the expression of a different way of thinking, distinct from that of the majority of the group, or a different way of dressing, acting, etc. This is related to fashions. Finally, as in Kant’s theory, there is today an external cause of the minority of age: the tutors. These are represented in our society by the media. Most of them have a background that consists of dictating what to do and what is right or wrong. In this way, many people remain in the minority and have not reached the enlightened state.