Organizing Enlightenment

Human immaturity manifests itself in a variety of ways. Immaturity is primarily divided into two stages in humans. It could be the inability to act in a mature manner due to psychic limitations. In a metaphor, it could signify a lack of clarity in reasoning and deliberateness in choices. Kant discusses the reality that humans lack the capacity to put their understanding into practice without the assistance of another person in his article (Cherkaoui, 2016). This suggests that they are unable to think independently because their thoughts are restrained. However, if this is the situation, then I feel that even though these same people are set free from the shackles, they will still be mindfully incapacitated. Their minds are overly used to the lockdown states that they cannot feel the essence and joy of freedom. This is a situation of self-imposed nonage.

Themes

Freedom

The author, Kant tries to find the perfect understanding of the reason behind human beings finding themselves in the nonage that they impose on themselves. However, he tends to argue from the point that cowardice and laziness may be the major attribute. Also, he claims that it is rather easier waiting on the thought and decision of someone else rather than being in their positions (Wellmon, 2015). When people get used to being in shackles, having a taste of freedom terrifies them “The man who casts them off would make an uncertain leap over the narrowest ditch because he is not used to such free movement.” This is because the nonage has formed a part of their being and they cannot let go of it. The human body executes the thought that the mind has in place, this means that if the mind is terrified of freedom, then there is nothing more that the body will do to avert that. This isn’t freedom at all because freedom entails the ability to think and do what a person has in mind.

Leadership

The article also talks about leadership positions and how the leaders find themselves in their posts. Since the people are allowing the engulfing of their minds to be in fear for freedom, they thrive in laziness and cowardice which makes them enjoy their positions as minors. The sweet minority feeling that is rather comforting to the people and the fear for thought, make it easy for leaders to set themselves up as the guardians ” There will always be a few independent thinkers, even among the self-appointed guardians of the multitude.” In their positions, they think and make decisions on behalf of the people ((Wellmon, 2015).

The guardians then make the people feel as though the step towards maturity as being not only difficult but also perilous. The author metaphorically uses domestic cattle to refer to the minors. By that, he meant to say that leaders make the subjects docile and also stupid in the same instant. Later, the subjects do not have the freedom to make thoughtful decisions owing to the terrible lies they have been fed. ”…guardians make their domestic cattle stupid and carefully prevent the docile creatures from taking a single step without the leading-strings to which they have fastened them.”( (Wellmon, 2015).

Servitude

The mention of shackles is entirely intentional to bring the hidden fact the people the author is talking about are in slavery. They are subjects to their leaders. There are several factors that this bring this fact to light. Foremost, the people are not allowed to think for themselves since the leaders think and act on their behalf. Secondly, the leaders impose oppressive rules that press the people so hard that they obey whatever they are told without questioning. This is the reason the author implies to them as being domestic cattle with ropes on their necks that the leaders use to lead them. ”Here arguing is not permitted: one must obey.” (Wellmon, 2015).

Correlation to Globalization

Kant, through his article, tried to create a means to inspire the people and to light dark souls. Giving hope to the people who were swiveling desperation and hopelessness. He decides to base his means to portraying his thoughts through a literary means. The author mentions of emphasis and reason being the basis and the brain behind metaphysics. He believes that metaphysics may be the bridge towards rational faculties. The enlightenment that Kant was working so hard to inspire was an attributive and furthering factor to the development of new science. The scientific advancements started in the Renaissance age and the republican revolutions that took place in America and France by then.

Kant’s has a strong association with the synthesis of the empiricist philosophy that was quite dominant in Great Britain. Also, he has an association with the rationalist philosophy that was dominant in the vast European continent. For many years now, the concept that Kant struggled to portray is getting taught in institutional affiliations and important meetings. He continues to inspire leaders to date. His concept of thought and mindful decisions have an attribution to many technological inventions that have made the world a small village (In Stavrianakis et al., 2015) The quotes from his article are used to question the leadership of various leaders in high ranks. ”Do not argue!“ The officer says: ”Do not argue--drill!“ The tax collector: ”Do not argue--pay!“ The pastor: ”Do not argue--believe!“ Only one ruler in the world says.” There has been an end to servitude that was rapidly sweep-staking the world (Wellmon, 2015).

Kant mentioned of laziness and cowardice being the key ingredients to preparing self-induced nonage. Most people have been trying not to make their meals from these components. This means that most of the people can now stand up to their leaders when necessary. The cocoon of minorities who let guardians take over leadership has quickly died down. It is his efforts that have necessitated this process. There have been different revolutionized leadership systems in the world. The reasoning concept that Kant was trying so hard to instill in people finally took route.

Employees in the late century work freely and not in shackles. Kant’s thought of free employees being more fruitful than the chained ones worked out. The output that free employees gave proved to be more promising compared to that from chained ones. Also, employees are highly respected in their lines of duty since they know what they want, they can reason and act without help from any other person. What Is Enlightenment has been the like a key to unlocking a vital part of the human mind all over the world (Cherkaoui, 2015). Critics exist to question Kant’s idea, but still, it’s the same concept of critical thinking that he emphasized on that they are applying in the critiquing.

References

Cherkaoui, M. D. (2016). What is enlightenment?: Continuity or Rupture in the wake of the Arab uprisings.

Wellmon, C. (2015). Organizing Enlightenment: Information overload and the invention of the modern research university.

In Stavrianakis, A., In Bennett, G., & In Fearnley, L. (2015). Science, reason, modernity: Readings for an anthropology of the contemporary.