“An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” is Immanuel Kant’s famous essay published in 1784. In this essay, he explains what enlightenment is, and ways to achieve it. It is one of the most debated essays on political philosophy. Kant defines enlightenment as people's emergence from immaturity. An immature person is someone who can’t think independently. Such immaturity comes from cowardice, and is encouraged by the guardians who like to take advantage of it. Kant suggests that society should achieve enlightenment slowly, through public efforts. To achieve enlightenment, freedom is the most important condition. Kant distinguishes between the public and private use of reason. He defends the freedom of the public use of reason, while putting a restraint on the private use. Kant believes that enlightenment is inevitable, because the desire for freedom is innate to human nature.
“What is Enlightenment?” (in German: Was ist Aufklärung?) is an occasional essay that was meant to answer a question raised in the Berlinische Monatsschrift, a monthly magazine. In an earlier edition of the same magazine, theologian Johann Friedrich Zöllner first raised this question, in discussion of civil marriage. Zöllner made the case that the question “What is enlightenment?” should be answered before anything else. Before Kant, a philosopher named Moses Mendelssohn also tried to answer this question. Both Kant and Mendelssohn emphasize the importance of freedom to enlightenment, but they differ in their views on how much freedom people should have. Publishing this essay, Kant joined his peers in an ongoing discussion about collective enlightenment.
"What is Enlightenment?" has become a defining text of the Enlightenment era. The Enlightenment era, or the Age of Reason, took place in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, following the Renaissance. It emphasized the power of reason and independence from religious authorities. Many scholars consider it to be a continuation of or a response to the Scientific Revolution that occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Scientific Revolution had major success, fueled by scientists such as Newton. These achievements exemplified the power of human reason. People began to have more confidence in themselves. They sought autonomy, instead of relying on authorities to tell them what to think. In the essay, Kant uses the phrase “Sapere Aude” (which means “Dare to Know” in Latin) to encapsulate the spirit of the Enlightenment era. This essay continues to shape debates surrounding the Enlightenment era and its philosophical significance.
