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What Is Enlightenment .cn 09-04-28 16:39 Enlightenment is man's leaving his self-caused immaturity.Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without theguidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack ofintelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one'sintelligence without being guided by another. Have the courage touse your own intelligence! is therefore the motto of theEnlightenment. Through laziness and cowardice a large part of mankind, evenafter nature has freed them from alien guidance, gladly remainimmature. It is because of laziness and cowardice that it is soeasy for others to usurp the role of guardians. It is socomfortable to be a minor! If I have a book which provides meaningfor me, a pastor who has conscience for me, a doctor who will judgemy diet for me and so on, then I do not need to exert myself. I donot have any need to think; if I can pay, others will take over thetedious job for me. The guardians who have kindly undertaken thesupervision will see to it that by far the largest part of mankind,including the entire "beautiful sex," should consider the step intomaturity, not only as difficult but as very dangerous. After having made their domestic animals dumb and havingcarefully prevented these quiet creatures from daring to take anystep beyond the lead-strings to which they have fastened them,these guardians then show them the danger which threatens them,should they attempt to walk alone. Now this danger is not really sovery great; for they would presumably learn to walk after somestumbling. However, an example of this kind intimidates andfrightens people out of all further attempts. It is difficult for the isolated individual to work himself outof the immaturity which has become almost natural for him. He haseven become fond of it and for the time being is incapable ofemploying his own intelligence, because he has never been allowedto make the attempt. Statues and formulas, these mechanical toolsof a serviceable use, or rather misuse, of his natural faculties,are the ankle-chains of a continuous immaturity. Whoever threw itoff would make an uncertain jump over the smallest trench becausehe is not accustomed to such free movement. Therefore there areonly a few who have pursued a firm path and have succeeded inescaping from immaturity by their own cultivation of the mind. But it is more nearly possible for a public to enlightenitself: this is even inescapable if only the public is given itsfreedom. For there will always be some people who think forthemselves, even among the self-appointed guardians of the greatmass who, after having thrown off the yoke of immaturitythemselves, will spread about them the spirit of a reasonableestimate of their own value and of the need for every man to thinkfor himself.. A public can only arrive at enlightenment slowly. Throughrevolution, the abandonment of personal despotism may be engenderedand the end of profit-seeking and domineering oppression may occur,but never a true reform of the state of mind. Instead, newprejudices, just like the old ones, will serve as the guiding reinsof the great, unthinking mass. All that is required for this enlightenment is freedom; andparticularly the least harmful of that may be called freedom,namely, the freedom for man to make public use of his reason in allmatters. But I hear people clamor on all sides: Don't argue! Theofficer says: Don't argue, drill! The tax collector: Don't argue,pay! The pastor: Don't argue, believe!... Here we have restrictionson freedom everywhere. Which restriction is hamperingenlightenment, and which does not, or even promotes it? I answer:The public use of a man's reason must be free at all times, andthis alone can bring enlightenment among men.... The question may now be put: Do we live at present in anenlightened age? The answer is: No, but in an age of enlightenment.Much still prevents men from being placed in a position to usetheir own minds securely and well in matters of religion. But we dohave very definite indications that this field of endeavor is beingopened up for men to work freely and reduce gradually thehindrances preventing a general enlightenment and an escape fromself-caused immaturity. SOURCE EDITOR. I am an expert from malesex-enhancement.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Body Slimming Gel , China Nature Slimming Coffee, Female Sexual Enhancement Pills,and more.
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