Lecture on the Enlightenment

Introduction

• Focus on Immanuel Kant, German philosopher in late 1700s.
• Germany was not yet unified but consisted of principalities like Prussia, Austria, and Bavaria.
• Kant wrote What is Enlightenment? to discuss the positive effects of knowledge and education on society, despite elite fears of losing power.

The Concept of Enlightenment

• Enlightenment Definition: Using reason to make the world more hospitable for human beings.
  • Requires science, education, and freedom.
• Social Movement: Not just philosophers but writers and journalists promoting reason over traditional authority.
• Key Example: Voltaire's “écraser l’infâme” (squash out infamy).

Philosophical Context

• Kant’s Middle Course: Balances reason/science with faith/belief.
• Historical Philosophical Problem: Connecting the ideal and the real.
  • Descartes: "I think, therefore I am." Use clear and distinct rational ideas to build knowledge and keep skepticism at bay.
  • Locke: Knowledge comes from experience; empiricism counters skepticism.
  • Hume: Experience leads to habits/customs, not foundational knowledge, worrying Kant.

Kant’s Response

• Phenomenal vs. Noumenal Worlds:
  • Phenomenal World: Knowledge is constructed by our minds (space-time categories).
  • Noumenal World: Things-in-themselves, beyond sensory experience, realm of faith and belief.
• Steering a Middle Course: Create boundaries around reason to make room for faith.

Key Points in What is Enlightenment?

• Central Thesis: Enlightenment is overcoming self-incurred tutelage.
  • Encourages individuals to use their own reason: "Dare to know."
• Maturity and Autonomy: Intellectual and moral capabilities are essential for enlightenment.
• Law and Autonomy: Touchstone of laws is whether people could impose such laws on themselves.

Conclusion

• Kant's philosophy supports the Enlightenment as a means to personal and societal progress.
• Emphasis on reasoning, education, and balancing faith with empirical knowledge.