Modern History Sourcebook: Immanuel Kant:What is Enlightenment?, 1784 Edited by: Ms. Martin

Was ist Äufklarung?

Enlightenment is man's freedom from his self-induced tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to use of his own logic without commands from an authority. This tutelage is self-induced because it lies not in his stupidity, but in the lack of courage to defy authority "Have courage to use your own reason!"- that is the motto of enlightenment.

Laziness and being scared are the reasons why so many people, after freedom from authority, nevertheless never think for themselves, and this is why it is so easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians. It is so easy not think for oneself. If I have a book which understands for me, a pastor who tells me what is right and wrong and a doctor who decides my diet, and so forth, I need not trouble myself. I need not think, if I can only pay - others will easily undertake the hard work for me.

The majority of men (and all women) think the path to thinking for yourself will be dangerous– and the guardians, who have kindly taken control over them, see the path as difficult. This is because after the guardians have first made their followers dumb and have made sure that these calm creatures will not dare take a single step without word from them, the guardians will then show them what evil might happen if they were to not listen. Actually, however, this danger is not so great, for those who fall a few times would finally learn to walk alone. But an example of this failure makes them scared and keeps them from trying.

For any single individua1 to leave a life under tutelage (not thinking for yourself) is very difficult. He has come to enjoy his state, and for the moment he really is unable to make use of his reason, for no one has ever let him try it out. Laws and codes, those mechanical tools that dictate how he uses or rather how he doesn’t use of his mind, are the bonds of an unending tutelage. Whoever throws off these bonds makes only an uncertain leap over the narrowest ditch because he is not accustomed to that kind of freedom. Therefore, there are few who have succeeded on their own.

But that the public should enlighten itself is more likely if only freedom is granted, enlightenment is almost sure to follow. For there will always be some independent thinkers, even among the established guardians of the great masses, who, after throwing off the chains of tutelage will spread the spirit of the rational appreciation and every man's job of thinking for himself. But be it noted that the public, which has first been forced under these chains by their guardians, forces the guardians themselves to remain the same - so harmful is it plant ideas, for the people later take revenge on their cultivators or on their descendants. Thus the public can only slowly attain enlightenment. Perhaps the overthrow of oppression may be accomplished by revolution, but never a true reform in ways of thinking. Farther, new ideas will serve as well as old ones to harness the great unthinking masses.

For this enlightenment, however, nothing is required but freedom, and indeed the most harmless among all the things to which this term can properly be applied. It is the freedom to make public use of one's reason at every point. But I hear on all sides, "Do not argue!" The Officer says: "Do not argue but drill!" The tax collector: "Do not argue but pay!" The cleric: "Do not argue but believe!" Only one prince in the world says, "Argue as much as you will, and about what you will, but obey!" Everywhere there is restriction on freedom.