Kant sees modernism as “a way out.” He wants to know if today is different than yesterday. In whose opinion is it different? Maybe someone had a death in the family yesterday and today is, in fact, the dawn of a new era. For most people, it’s only a Thursday.
He also posits the “way out” as ” a process that releases us from the status of immaturity,” which is a “certain state of our will which makes us accept someone else’s authority to lead us in areas where reason is called for.”
Have we escaped our immaturity today, when we were unable yesterday? Or were we able yesterday, but CHOSE not to gain maturity? We choose those who lead us, but is the way they choose representative?
I keep hearing the mantra that “the government should fear the people,” but I see apathy across much of the population which is perpetuated by fear. They keep us afraid so that we are easier to control, and when we are docile and easy to control, we remain in a state of immaturity.
A place where reason is called for.
When did we lose our own ability to choose our ways of reason and why did we give our reasoning decisions to billionaire’s and millionaire’s who have their hands in so many pockets of other billionaire’s and millionaire’s?
If we must give our reasoning abilities to anyone, why can’t we give it to each other? Well, because it will descend into full blow anarchy until someone comes out on top, that’s why. That’s what competition does and it’s survival of the fittest here people!
We so often make decisions to let somebody take over and then we give up because our job at the polling station is done! We have not gained maturity in this instance.
Kant proposes that our task of enlightenment is an obligation and that we can only get there by ourselves.
Aude Sapere: Dare to Know. Stand up and have the courage to truly know.
They should be afraid of us, not the other way around. We don’t have to swallow what they regurgitate into our open, infant mouths.
The people can follow the government idly, but this should only happen if the government uses universal reason in it’s decision making.
Universal does not mean at the expense of the poor for the financial benefit of the rich. There are a lot more poor than rich and we should hold the fat asses of politicians to the fire to ensure that universal application of decision making.
That is when we shall truly be enlightened and achieve modernity.
