Pure and True Enlightenment Attainable?
In both Kant and Descartes works they address this idea of knowing and how attainable it actually is. Where Kant is highly optimistic that understanding is available to the human that is willing to make the effort necessary to think on one's own, Descartes questions if this true knowledge is possible to attain and sets to work by doubting all of his preconceived ideas (which he believes were heavily of nonage from his universities etc.) in hopes to arrive at this enlightenment that Kant speaks of.
Kant talks on how the only thing needed for enlightenment to happen is that there be freedom to reason. I question this statement. How do we distinguish between what is nonage and enlightenment? There is many blurred lines between how our understanding is rooted in our experience, and how our experience many times involve relationships with other thinking beings in which we communicate back and forth ideas. How are you to ever know that you have had a completely pure idea apart from another human's influence?
Descartes attempts to do just this and separate out true enlightenment. As much as I admire his effort and thoughts, which provoke mine even greater, I can't say that he was successful in his attempt because I am still at question on whether or not the conclusions he has drawn are completely rid of other's influence.
Kant talks on how the only thing needed for enlightenment to happen is that there be freedom to reason. I question this statement. How do we distinguish between what is nonage and enlightenment? There is many blurred lines between how our understanding is rooted in our experience, and how our experience many times involve relationships with other thinking beings in which we communicate back and forth ideas. How are you to ever know that you have had a completely pure idea apart from another human's influence?
Descartes attempts to do just this and separate out true enlightenment. As much as I admire his effort and thoughts, which provoke mine even greater, I can't say that he was successful in his attempt because I am still at question on whether or not the conclusions he has drawn are completely rid of other's influence.
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