“Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding”!
When Kant references self-incurred immaturity, I think of some people within our society that simply follow and believe what others do without further researching its validity thus being intellectually immature. Throughout his essay on Enlightenment he challenges authorities both secular and religious to demonstrate that people who overthrow doctrines and view things in its original state of nature will enlighten one’s state of knowledge. Kant emphasized the natural order of things and how institutional structures change people’s mindsets or do not allow them to feel free to truly investigate and express fundamental basics and make public use of one’s reason in all matters. Kant is an optimist in the sense that he believes human beings can find their way through the natural order of things if not held back by these institutional structures and do not require divine guidance.
I find that Kant’s Categorical Imperative, “Act only to the maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” is similar to the religious principal of “do unto others as you want done to you”. Yet when he wrote the Enlightenment, he struck down religious theory and imparted his secular views.
For example, one that stood out to me was “Have courage to use your own understanding”! This contradicts Christianity and its values as what is stated in the Bible in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”.
Kant’s theory on Enlightenment led me to reflect on Rawl’s Theory of Justice behind the Veil of Ignorance. Behind the Veil of Ignorance, you are less likely to insert your personal biases and prejudices resulting in one being “more likely” to be rational, free, and morally equal, choosing principles of justice.
I think it is logical to say that behind the veil of ignorance it is a fair starting point for a social contract because some do not wish to remain in the status quo or be a participant of a disadvantaged group. When a person is not aware of their position in society, they will consider the perspective of all members. Typically, people identify what is just and unjust by framing their decisions based on their own personal experiences.
“But the attitude of mind of a head of state who favors freedom in the arts and sciences extends even further, for he realizes that there is no danger even to his legislation if he allows his subjects to make public use of their own reason and to put before the public their thoughts on better ways of drawing up laws, even if this entails forthright criticism of the current legislation”.
Kant argues we need to be objective in reasoning under a universal principle. Therefore, should the public believe everything that Dr. Anthony Fauci has to say about COVID-19 simply because he is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and has been the advisory physician for six presidents on global health issues? Trump and Fauci have gotten into heated debates over the topic.
The above example comes to mind when Kant says, think for yourself. When a doctor gives you a diagnosis; do you simply follow what he or she has to say? We are conditioned to follow what a doctor says because he or she is a trained human being in science and medicine, but that does not mean that humans cannot err in their opinion or diagnosis.
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