HUMAN 1C Chapter Notes - Chapter All: Latte, Practical Philosophy, Conceptual System
MY NOTES:
āIt is very difficult for any single individual to extricate himself from the minority that has
become almost nature to him. He has even grown fond of it and is really unable for the time
being to make use of his own understanding, because īhe was never allowed to make the
attemptīā(17).
This reminds me of how many people today look down on minorities, labelling them as
lazy and ignorant because they canāt get a job or move any higher than the place they were born
in; poor. The problem may not be them, but the fact that this life is what they know and they
were never given a chance to move up, to be something more, because they were always treated
in a different way or told that the way things are will stay that way forever.
āI like the point Kant is making that though people must obey certain things, including
taxes and officials, they will not be in trouble if in their personal life they express their
thoughts on something being inappropriate or an injustice.
āKant says it would be a ācrime against human natureā(20) to make a treaty or law that
would have individuals be unable to improve their cognition and make progress in
enlightenment. Human nature's origin itself lies precisely in this progress.
āThey live in an īage of enlightenment,
ī
not an īenlightened age.
ī
Basically, people are
capable of improving their enlightenment and cognition, but they have not yet reached
the point of having an enlightened cognition.
One who āconsiders it his īduty
ī
not to prescribe anything to human being in religious matters but
to leave them complete freedomā and declines the āarrogant name of ītolerance,
ī
is himself
enlightened and deserves to be praised by a grateful world and by posterity as the one who first
released the human race from minorityā(21).
This passage shows that Kant believes that people should be grateful to those who are
enlightened, and hence strive to become enlightened themselves, as they are released from
āminority.ā He specifically says a prince should be the one to think in this way, that way his
peoples will be under the rule of an enlightened man, who leaves his people the freedom to
further themselves in their enlightenment journeys. Also, he says it is a ādutyā to make sure
people are not forced into believing something.
āIt seems implied that Kant wishes for people in society to be treated as āmore than a
machine.ā In other words, treat people as human, and allow them to freely think for
themselves.
FRIDAY FORUM:
Rousseau resists a lot of things that Kant claims.
Kant learned to honor mankind through Rousseau.
Both Rousseau and Kant take the analysis of īhuman natureī for practical considerations, ethics,
politicsā¦
Both take freedom, not happiness, to be central in the concept of practical philosophy.
Both emphasize individualism and self-determination.
Both criticize oneās self-concept
Key Differences:
Rousseau holds reason as a derivative capacity necessitated by society, and he criticizes reason,
society, and progress
āMeditating...suffer.ā
-Preface to āSecond Discourseā 42
As you read this passage, he distinguishes between love of self and the vice of self love. Love of
self is a virtue, and self love is a vice.
Society, not the individual, is responsible for fundamental vice of vanity or self love; a corrupt,
competitive desire to be perceived as being better than others and envied.
-Rousseau
Kant disagrees, individuals, not society, are responsible for the fundamental vice of minority.
Kant defines enlightenment as the emergence from his self-incurred minority.
Minorityī: inability to make use of oneās own understanding without direction from another.
Kant regards children and women as minorities because they cannot represent themselves, like in
court.
This minority is īself-incurred
ī
when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of
resolution and courage to use it without direction from another.
Sapere aude! (Horace: āDare to be wise!ā)
Have the courage to make use of your own understanding!
Is thus the motto of enlightenment.
Alt. Formulations:
āWhat is Orientation in Thinking?ā
Enlightenment is the maxim of always thinking for oneself
āCritique of the Power of Judgmentā
Enlightenment is liberation from īsuperstitionī and īprejudiceī generally.
Kantās Writing:
If you leave reason unchained, enlightenment will result from it.
Document Summary
It is very difficult for any single individual to extricate himself from the minority that has become almost nature to him. He has even grown fond of it and is really unable for the time being to make use of his own understanding, because he was never allowed to make the attempt (17). This reminds me of how many people today look down on minorities, labelling them as lazy and ignorant because they can"t get a job or move any higher than the place they were born in; poor. Kant says it would be a crime against human nature (20) to make a treaty or law that would have individuals be unable to improve their cognition and make progress in enlightenment. Human nature"s origin itself lies precisely in this progress. They live in an age of enlightenment, not an enlightened age.