What is Enlightenment?

(1784)
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Dr. Imran Ibrahim

“Enlightenment is man's leaving his self-
caused immaturity”
“Man’s emergence from self imposed
immaturity”
 “Immaturity is the incapacity to
use one's intelligence without the
guidance of another”
“We must have the courage to use
our own understanding”
 This is really scary thing
challenging the set standards of
the society

To question what we have been

being taught by our parents,
teachers, madrissa imam and
the father in the church
 It is difficult for the isolated
individual to work himself out
of the immaturity which has
become almost natural for him
Believing Everything “NONAGE”
Not using one’s understanding of things
that happen or being told by others
Most of the times by
Secular Authority
Religious authority
the state of nonage is the one when you
go with what you have been told
“Freedom leads to enlightenment”
 “Nothing is required for the
enlightenment except the freedom”
“Freedom to use reason publically in
all spheres of life”
“When there is freedom, a few, who
can think will spread the spirit of
rationality”
“Enlightenment is a slow process’
 Have the courage to use your own
understanding
But
Bible says “trust in the Lord with all
your heart and don’t go with your own
understanding
 What is “Enlightenment?”

Reason Traditions
& Logic and
Superstitions
rationalism  nostalgia for the
 empiricism past
 tolerance  organized religions
 skepticism  irrationalism
 Deism  emotionalism
Everywhere there are restrictions on
freedom
Do not argue
Do not argue drill “the officer”
Do not argue pay “texman”
Do not argue believe “pastor”
Utilize reason

Practice critical thinking

Have desire and manifest

curiosity
Moral Philosophy
By
Immanuel Kant
The Good Will and Autonomy
• What is the Ultimate Good?-
“Good Will”
• What makes a person “good” is
possession of a will that makes
its decisions on the basis of
moral law.
Believed reason could be
used to work out a
consistent set of moral
principles. Such moral
rules would be universal.
Kant’s ‘Duty’ ethics are a
moral obligation which
must come from within
each individual.
Categorical imperative
“The obligation to do our duty is
unconditional. That is, we must do it for
the sake of duty, because it is the right
thing to do, not because it will profit us
psychologically, or economically, not
because if we don’t do it and get caught
we’ll be punished, the only true moral
act is done from a pure sense of duty.”
Categorical Imperative

The things that you have to do in

all the circumstances whatsoever
I ought never to act except in such
a way that I could also will that
my maxim should become a
universal law.
Kantian Duty Ethics
“Morality is not based on the
fact that it has instrumental
value, that it often secures
nonmoral goods such as
happiness. Rather, morality is
valuable in its own right.”