Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to make use of his knowledge and understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Laziness and cowardice are the reasons men generally do not step out of there comfort zone and question what knowledge imputed upon them. “Dare to know!” Is the motto of Kant’s article. He claims the mind is equipped with reason and is infinitely powerful. Kant challenges us to essentially “think outside of the box,” and stop being mentally imprisoned by society’s knowledge that has solely captivated our minds.
In response to Kant’s claims, I would ask him if it is even possible at this day and age to become enlightened. It seems to me that society has repeated on this pattern of “self-incurred tutelage” for so long that everyone’s knowledge is built off of one another. For one to become enlightened they must step outside of “ordinary thinking.” However, is that really possible if one cannot think for themselves, or receive knowledge outside of their own natural understanding? If everyone has learned, even as a pupil, the basics of each other’s knowledge, then we must all be incapable of enlightenment. Is, and will everyone just continue to drown in this lazy pattern of self-imposed immaturity?
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