What is Enlightenment? - Immanuel Kant

What is a government that has a spirit of freedom?

A government that in freedom there is not the least cause for about public peace and the stability of the community

What is seemingly paradoxical?

A greater decree of civil freedom seems beneficial to the freedom of mind of the people, but it places inescapable limitations on it. It affects the principles of government, which treats men (more like machines now) according to their dignity

What is Enlightenment?

A man's release from his self-incurred tutelage

What is the difference between an enlightened age and an age of enlightenment?

Age of enlightenment: men are not capable of correctly using their own reason in religious matters with assurance and free from outside direction. Men are beginning to freely deal with these things and obstacles to general enlightenment or the release of self-imposed tutelage are gradually being reduced

What does Kant say of military?

An enlightened prince who has a numerous and well-disciplined army to assure public peace can say "Argue as much as you will, and about what you will, only obey"

What can a republic not say that a government with an enlightened prince can say?

Argue as you will, and about what you will, only obey

How does the author feel about a permanently changed religious institution?

By doing so, we make a period of time fruitless in the progress of mankind toward improvement - a disadvantage to posterity

Why is it necessary for the government to make use of private reason?

By practicing in this the government may direct affairs to public ends, or at least prevent them from destroying those ends

Is Kant a royalist?

He believes a monarch has less of a right to decree for a people and t hat a monarch draws his power from the approval of the people

What happens if he can see that all true and alleged improvement stand together with civil order?

He can leave it to his subjects to do what they find necessary for their spiritual welfare

Why is it difficult for any single individual to work himself out of the life under tutelage which has become almost his nature?

He has come to be fond of his state, and he is for the present really incapable of making use of his reason, for no one has ever let him try it out.

What is private use of reason?

How one uses it in a particular civil post or office which is entrusted to him

Why is is more possible that the public enlightens itself?

If freedom is given then enlightenment is almost sure to follow

What is the only way the idea of creating a symbol unchangeable in the religious faith for at most a limited time?

In expectation of the better and inspiring numbers of people (the majority) and creating better ideas and a changed religious order without hindering others who wish to remain in the order

What are the top concerns about the main point of enlightenment? (the escape of men from their self-incurred tutelage)

In matters of religion - rulers have no interest in playing guardians concerning arts and sciences. When the head of state sees no danger to his lawgiving in allowing his subjects to make public use of their reason and to publish their thoughts that have a proposed improved legislations and their open-minded criticisms of the laws already made.

How can one unite in a permanent religious institution?

It cannot be subject to doubt before the public and to create a changed religious order with better ideas without hindering those that wish to stay

Why is it impossible to limit the progress of enlightenment?

It goes against human nature, which lies precisely in this progress and the descendants would easily reject such decrees as having been made in an unwarranted and malicious manner

Why is the exorcise of private reason necessary in the workings of government?

It is necessary for some members of the community to passively conduct themselves with an 'artificial' unanimity

What does Supere aude mean?

It is the motto of enlightenment: "Have courage to use your own reason!"

What is the only way a law perseveres?

It lies on whether the people can impose such a law on itself. So laws can change with new generations

Why is it impossible to by oath create a certain unchangeable symbol in order to enjoy unceasing guardianship among the society of clergymen?

It would mean that all enlightenment is shut down and as such cannot bind the future because it cannot extend its knowledge, purify itself of errors, and progress in general enlightenment

What are the two reasons why mankind remains under lifelong tutelage and why it is so easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians?

Laziness and cowardice

What is Tutelage?

Man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another

Can a fall of despotism and tyrannical/avaricious oppression truly be accomplished by revolution?

Never a true reform in ways of thinking

What is prejudices relations to large 'unthinking' masses?

New prejudices will serve as well as old ones to harness the great unthinkng masses

Name the obstacles and non-obstacles to enlightenment.

Obstacles: restrictions to public use of reason Non-obstacles: restrictions to private use of freedom

What is the difference between private and public use of reason?

Private use reason is acting based on the orders another and public use of reason is acting based on his own person

What does a lower degree of civil freedom provide to the freedom of mind of the people?

Provides the mind with room for each man to extend himself to his full capacity.

What is the most harmful and most degrading of all?

Religious incompetence

What is an enlightened prince?

Someone who doesn't find it unworthy to say that it is his duty to prescribe nothing to men in religious matters but to give them complete freedom while renouncing the haughty name of tolerance

What does he say about the clergyman?

The clergyman is obligated to make a sermon and fulfill his duty as his post so requires. As a scholar he has a complete freedom and calling to communicate to the public all that is wrong but under the teachings of another and not based on his own lights. He says "our church teaches this or that; those are the proofs which it adduces." He advocates based on enunciation rather than example

Why is a priest exorcising private reason?

The congregation is private because they are a domestic one. The priest is not free because he carries the orders of another

According to Immanuel Kant, what are statutes and formulas?

The fetters of an everlasting tutelage, they are mechanical tools of the rational employment (or misemployment) of his natural gifts)

What example does Immanuel Kant use to express that competence is held to be a very dangerous thing by the far greater portion of mankind?

The guardians have made their domestic cattle dumb and have made sure that these placid creatures will not dare take a single step without the harness of the cart to which they are tethered , the guardians then show them the danger which threatens if they try to go alone.

What can be narrowly restricted without particularly hindering the progress of enlightenment?

The private use of reason

What alone can bring about enlightenment among men?

The public use of one's reason must always be free

How can the 'monarch' evaluate his own governance?

The writings in which his own subjects seek to present their views

What is the concern of the 'monarch(?)'?

To prevent one of his subjects from violently hindering another in determining and promoting their self-governed welfare

How else does the monarch injure himself?

When he degrades his supreme power by supporting the ecclesiastical despotism of some tyrants in his state over other subjects

What can men work themselves out of barbarity?

When intentional artifices are not made to hold them in it

When does 'self-incurred' become tutelage?

When it's cause lies in the lack of resolution and courage to use it [reason?] without direction from another

When does the motto 'one must obey' necessary in following?

When the government follows the direction of the private use of reason.

When and why is it harmful to implant prejudices?

When the public forces the guardians to remain bound when it is incited to do so by the guardians who are themselves capable of some enlightenment because they [prejudices?] will take vengeance on their cultivators or on their descendants

What is an even greater freedom than an enlightened prince allowing ecclesiastics to exorcise their views?

When they aren't restricted by official duties

Is it possible to spread a spirit of freedom to other lands?

Yes even when it is facing obstacles created by a government which misunderstands its own interest

Can man postpone enlightenment in what he ought to know?

Yes, but to renounce it for posterity is to injure the rights of mankind

Are there a lot who have succeeded in throwing their own exercise of mind both in freeing themselves from incompetence and in achieving a steady pace?

no

Under an enlightened prince, ecclesiastics are allowed...?

to freely express their judgements and views which drift a little from the established symbol