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On Enlightenment by Immanuel Kant

From an essay that Kant wrote on Enlightenment I have taken the following excerpt. This explains the process of Enlightenment:

"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Have courage to use your own understanding!"--that is the motto of enlightenment."

I think this simply translates into one trying to solve his/her own problems. You would still take help from people, infact they would be 'one' of the sources you would use but at the end of the day 'you' would have to take responsibility to find the solution/to get the job done.

One can probably achieve alot. Its just that they never get down to it - because they hesitate, are lazy or in more powerful situations are afraid.

Quote (I don't remember whom by): "The strong are strong because we are asleep".

As Kant continues to explain the difference between the strong or successful and the weak or unsuccessful is that, they start out the same, both fall down, keep falling down while trying, but the strong try longer until they finally get up.

Comments

  1. Noorali SuraniApril 11, 2008 at 2:12 PM

    Amazing thought. Shameful reminder that Kant's "critique of pure reason" i purchased in England is gathering dust on my book shelf :(

    ReplyDelete

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