What is Enlightenment?

1. When Kant says "freedom", he means that mankind should be able to have the freedom to make decisions for themselves in all situations. For example, it says in the except, "All that is required for this is enlightenment is freedom; and particularly the least harmful of all that may be called freedom, namely, the freedom for man to make public use of his reason in all matters."

2. Kant feels that freedom is so central to the Enlightenment because without freedom it is hard for a person to work themselves out of immaturity. Man can not think for themselves because things are always handed to them. For example, Kant says, "He has even become fond of this state and for the time being is actually incapable of using his own understanding, for no one has ever allowed him to attempt it."

3. People become enlightened by releasing themselves from their self-imposed immaturity. Kant says, "All that is required for this is enlightenment is freedom...the freedom for man to make public use of his reason in all matters." An appropriate environment to accomplish this is one that does not lay everything out for you. For example, one must be able to make choices by themselves, without the help of others. Kant gives an example of this by saying, "If I have a book to serve as my understanding, a pastor to serve as my conscience, a physician to determine my diet for me, and so on, I need not exert myself at all."

4. Kant relates enlightenment to politics by saying, "But the manner of thinking of a head of state who favors religious enlightenment goes even further, for he realizes that there is no danger to his legislation in allowing his subjects to use reason publicly and to set before the world their thoughts concerning better formulations of his laws, even if this involves frank criticism of legislation currently in effect." This means that the head of state that allows his people to make decisions for themselves is helping the enlightenment.