Immanel Kant Analysis

When I first read the essay by Immanel Kant, "What is Enlightenment?" I thought that Enlightenment meant becoming aware of things you were otherwise in the dark about. But, after reading Kant’s article a few times, I saw that he views enlightenment as "Man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity”. Kant discusses the nature of Enlightenment and how it can be taken to the overall public, he also says in his essay that “Enlightenment is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage.” The word "Immaturity" means childishness or silliness. Kant described "Immaturity" is being the unable to use one's understanding without the guidance from another. He sees the Age of Enlightenment to be the time when society as a whole can be liberated for their need of a director. However Kant also says that although we need to instruction we should rely on our selves when we become adults.

According to Kant Enlightenment is the growth of a culture through free activity of rational thought. Though, he also claims that we don’t live in an “Enlightened Age” but that we
Kant claimed that civilization was still in the Age of Enlightenment because both the individual and the public are still trapped in an immaturity that was self-induced. In Kant's article it is very clearly explained that it is possible for humans to be free of immaturity but since most of society is still immature, our society still has yet to reach the Enlightened Age. Kant also speculates that to be in the perfect Enlightened Age, humanity will need to overcome foolish thoughts and actions. Society will need to make choices after careful study of the likely effects their choices could cause. To sum up all that I have taken from his article, if a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to