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Enlightenment Emmanuel Kant was one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment Period. In 1784, Emmanuel Kant gave his responsive to what he thought enlightenment was. He replied saying “people have slavishly followed the opinions of authorizes, rather than having the courage to seek truth” (peg. 17). Emmanuel Kant might have been referring to “guardians” to slaves or young children when he made that statement.
Here it is year 2014 nearly two hundred and thirty years later and we still face this hype of enlightenment. We face these types of enlightenment because the world is always changing bringing along a new era/age. With these changes come new leaders, new wars, new clicks, and new technology. We do not have slavery in the United States as we once had, but we still have different types of slavery. There are employers who barely pay their employees, and do not get a choice or say in matters. The same goes for a minor they do not have a say in certain matters because their opinions are given to them.
Without these “guardians” minors or employees would to grow into better adults or employees without their guidance or neutering. These “guardians” as Kant refers not only could be a human, but books. With books it has let us learn about our past and present day. We might look as enlightenment as a person’s way of being free with their “guardians”, but without them our minds would be a blank canvas. They have helped shaped, and educated our minds and left us with choice. With this choice we have been able to ask questions or question why things are the way they are.
Kant may not eave agreed with having a “guardian”, but we have to remember that was his choice, but that same “guardian” he did not agree might at some point in his life shaped who he was. Emmanuel Kant might have been the most influential thinker but I disagree with him on his views about the government Kant stated “the government should release the human race from immaturity and to leave everyone free to use his own reason in all matters conscience. ” If a human feels the law is unconstitutional, they have the freedom to speak up about it, which is why we have the 1st amendment.
But for there not to be any laws, it will leave everything unstable. We need laws to protect the people, and their land because if there were not any laws we would live in a world of chaos. Even with Cant’s opinions of enlightenment, as I was reading over it I had my own opinions. This Just goes to prove that with every different era comes change, and how things will not ever stay the same. We the people will always grow and rules and laws will always change. Works Citied Simon, Peter. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature.