200 years before i came to earth, Kant answered this question saying:
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! [dare to know] "Have courage to use your own understanding!"--that is the motto of enlightenment
3 comments:
A very neat definition for maturity, and thus enlightenment.
Reflecting this on myself I find that I am mature in many areas, although I do question my maturity in other areas.
I think there might be an additional enhancement to this definition: Which is being able to judge the quality for your own understanding.
Again, reflecting on myself... When I do something, I always return to my own understanding. After I study the problem at hand, I assess my solution and judge it as good or bad.
I think thats important for enlightenment. Because, our own understanding might be flawed. And if we reference only our own understanding without being able to criticize it, we would not be enlightened, but rather we would be stuck in the dark ages!
Oh another thing. I answered your tag.
Sorry for being late. You know, the mess at No_Angel's blog made me forget it... But today I remembered it.
I answered it as a comment on your blog - as we have agreed before.
hey Zaid, glad you liked it, yes one should keep his/her understanding in check though shocking, frightening sometimes.
making, trusting and following your understanding is freedom.
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