{"id":1854,"date":"2018-08-25T08:37:21","date_gmt":"2018-08-25T08:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/?p=1854"},"modified":"2018-08-25T15:47:00","modified_gmt":"2018-08-25T15:47:00","slug":"enlightenment-kant-aurelis-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/aurelis\/enlightenment-kant-aurelis-growth","title":{"rendered":"Enlightenment, Kant, AURELIS, Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s time to bring things together. This is according to me the only way forward.<\/h3>\n

\u2018Western Enlightenment\u2019 points to a historical period<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

from +\/- 1650 onwards, till +\/- first part of 19th<\/sup> century. It was multifaceted, to say the least, and came in several waves from \u2018moderate\u2019 to \u2018radical\u2019\u2026 to even \u2018totalitarian\u2019 (\u00e0 la Robespierre). In another sense, \u2018Western Enlightenment\u2019 is a few thousand years old and is still going on at present, shaping our culture.<\/p>\n

But what is it?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Immanuel Kant (1724 \u2013 1804) was a central figure and is deemed by many to be the greatest philosopher of all times. According to Kant, enlightenment is \u2018the emergence from self-inflicted immaturity\u2019. [quote from 1784]<\/p>\n

OK. This puts it a bit harshly. Kant was, after all, a Prussian guy. But let\u2019s not be deterred and analyze the three parts of his definition:<\/p>\n

emergence<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This means it\u2019s a continuous process, not an end-state that one can ever reach. There\u2019s always one step further to go. Quite a Taoist take on things.<\/p>\n

immaturity<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With \u2018maturity\u2019, the Prussian guy means foremost a becoming independent of parental figures, like a child maturing to an adult, in this process losing the security of the parental setting. People are\/were dependent on teachers, priests, \u2018one idea about science that says it all\u2019, one kind of political outlet on social media, one phrase that one can use in conversation to shield oneself from further inquiry, etc. Kant\u2019s urge was to think for yourself<\/em>, for which looking at several sources is a necessary condition.<\/p>\n

Yes, this demands discipline.<\/p>\n

self-inflicted<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This may be most interesting.<\/p>\n

Why do people self-inflict \u2018immaturity\u2019 according to Kant? He sees two reasons:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. It\u2019s comfortable<\/strong>. Remember Plato\u2019s cave, people looking at shadows on the cave\u2019s wall.<\/li>\n
  2. A lack of daring<\/strong>: fear of the unknown, of the loneliness of a consistent seeker, of responsibility\u2026 In short: it can indeed be scary outside of Plato\u2019s cave if one is not used to the sunlight. But it\u2019s this light that enlightens. The wall in the cave only shows a mere shadowy shimmering.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Some AURELIS<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    It\u2019s easy to remain a flower bud, but then one never sees the sun, the bees, nature in full glory. To live is to open up like a flower and be \u2018vulnerable\u2019. Many people tend to rather stay in the bud. For instance:<\/p>\n