The motto of enlightenment is “Have courage to use your own reason.” Philosopher Immanuel Kant described enlightenment as a path that all of us have access to, but few of us take advantage of. It is defined as “a man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage” (Kant, 1). That is, enlightenment is self-incurred because most of society adopts the dominant feelings of the popular majority.
However, Kant presents it is difficult for individuals to reach a level of such enlightenment because they lack the courage to do so. It takes courage to stand out on one’s own faith, beliefs and/or opinions, when they go against those of the vast majority. A result of being “different” and going against the grain is being bullied or ostracized, publicly or privately, for holding opposing beliefs. This is no more evident than in the political arena. Those who follow the popular candidate often criticize those who are in favor of the minority candidates.
Essentially, having freedom of speech and of thought is what eventually leads to enlightenment. But if we remain working under the same old routine and beliefs we held previously, therefore hindering the benefits of free thought, enlightenment becomes impossible to attain. In order for enlightenment to gradually spread in a community, individuals must be free from all bias. Kant recounts, “so harmful is it to implant prejudices, for they later take vengeance on their cultivators or on their descendents.” (Kant, 2) Therefore, individuals as a group must use their own reason instead of prejudging people, institutions, beliefs, etc., in order to reach true enlightenment, when one is aligned with oneself and one’s viewpoints.
Kant refers to an individual’s “public and private” use of reason in their lives in the article as well. In a person’s public life, the use of reason allow them to make proper decisions and solve dilemmas that arise. It is expected that one would use reason in daily life which always seems to call for us to complete one task or another. The private use of reason occurs when an individual “must passively conduct themselves with an artificial unanimity” (2). This private use of reason is best illustrated by people who are a part of a group or organization, in which using one own’s reason is highly discouraged, as the greater good of the whole becomes more important than the needs of the individual.
I do not believe that we, as a society, are actually not more enlightened. Even with all of the technological advances and modern luxuries all around us, many individuals would rather choose the opinions of the popular majority, lest they receive backlash or criticism, even bullying, because of their difference of opinion. The presence of blogs, digital apps and social media make it easy to publicly shame someone for his or her unpopular beliefs. It is fear and procrastination that hinder an individual’s search for enlightenment. The fear of being isolated and targeted for thinking and/or being different from those around us.
Kant is correct in his opinion that it is the responsibility of everyone to think for themselves. Principles that guide one person’s life will not guide another. Following the thinking of others instead of ones own, strips the individual of making significant changes necessary in their lives. In addition, if everyone thought the same, there would be no new solutions to problems that need solving. Thinking “outside of the box” can create new ideas for people in business and other areas of life, bringing to fruition new products and services that are in need. If Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had not thought differently than their peers, the innovative computer and technology products would not have been invented.
There should be some limits to freedom of speech and the right to publish one’s opinions. Although one of the greatest freedoms we have in the United States is our freedom of speech, if our communications are meant to degrade someone or threatens their life, it should not be allowed without penalties. The internet is a vast atmosphere where our freedom of speech is tested continually. Blogs, apps and other social media platforms allow people to post harmful content anonymously. Yet if using our freedom of speech means putting another person’s life in danger or erroneously slandering someone’s name to the point where it causes serious defamation, there should be fines applied. In recent news, there have been a number of middle school students nationwide who have taken their own lives due to cyberbullying, proving that words are powerful, and exercising our freedom of speech should not be taken lightly.
In conclusion, Kant notes enlightenment as a use of one’s own reason as opposed to adopting the reasons of others. The author’s reference to one’s private and public use of reason allows us to understand that how we use our voice of reason depends upon the context of our relationships. A person would normally use their own reason while moving about their daily lives in public. However, private use of reason presents an individual with the task of withholding one’s personal beliefs in favor of the reason of a collective group of people such as a political or business entity. In order to reach such enlightenment, one has to free themselves of any biases. Although we operate within the realm of freedom of speech, there should be some legal limits to what information we choose to share and post online or in print.
Works Cited
Kant, Immanuel. What is Enlightenment? Internet Modern History Sourcebook. Paul Halsall,
1997.
