Essay on Kant's What is Enlightenment?

In his essay titled "What is Enlightenment?" Immanuel Kant defines enlightenment as "man's leaving his self-caused immaturity." (145) In order to fully comprehend his definition, one must first clearly understand Kant's use of the term "immaturity." He explains that immaturity is not thinking for oneself because of a "lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another." (145)

To Kant, immaturity is the individual's fault. He explains that a pattern of immaturity is difficult to break, because it becomes comfortable for the individual to rely on others for knowledge. (145) The chief example that Kant provides to illustrate this point is domesticated animals. As an allusion to the role of government on its citizens, he explains that the animal's guardian domesticates it, and then warns it of the dangers of straying from his or her guidance. However, as Kant explains further: "this danger is not really so very great... [but] an example of this kind intimidates and frightens people out of all further attempts." (146) Much like the guardian in Kant's domesticated animal example, governments sometimes facilitate an individual's immaturity by providing the individual with a ready-made set of beliefs to which he or she can cling. (148)

Kant identifies a clear distinction between the individual's pursuit of enlightenment as opposed to that of the public:

"It is difficult for the isolated individual to work himself out of the immaturity which has become most natural for him... but it is more nearly possible for a public to enlighten itself." (146)

He says that once an individual gets into a pattern of immaturity, he or she becomes comfortable relying on external sources for knowledge. Individuals fear relying on their own faculties because there is a chance that they may find personal inadequacies. No one wants to be wrong. Therefore, "only a few...have pursued a firm path and have succeeded in escaping from immaturity by their own cultivation of the mind." (146)