SOC 3104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Alexis De Tocqueville, Noblesse Oblige
Document Summary
For kant, reason is the essence of enlightenment- the exercise of free thought within a social mass. There needs to be a social contract before enlightened reason is possible. Kant emphasizes the distinction between free thinking and disobedience- one is still obliged to obey within one"s formally defined roles. Yet, even those who obey are supposed to be free to offer criticism of tradition and the extant order- critique. By giving people the freedom to critique, it allows improvement to occur. Kant becomes the first modern proponent not only of social theory, but social criticism- not only describing and explaining what is, or predicting what will be, but arguing for what ought to be. Private vs public reason: private- the reason you express through the duties you fulfill in your role (job, status) Public: once a person is separate from their role they are free to critique. Caveat to private reason: whistle blower (someone who critiques within their social role)
