What is Enlightenment?

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"What is Enlightenment?" is a seminal 1784 essay by Immanuel Kant that defines enlightenment as humanity’s emergence from self-imposed immaturity through the courageous use of reason.

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Generate an image of What is Enlightenment? ("What is Enlightenment?" is a seminal 1784 essay by Immanuel Kant that defines enlightenment as humanity’s emergence from self-imposed immaturity through the courageous use of reason.)

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf philosophical essay ⓘ
work by Immanuel Kant ⓘ
addresses relationship between reason and authority ⓘ
role of the individual in social progress ⓘ
advocates freedom for the public use of reason ⓘ
arguesThat immaturity is self-imposed when it does not result from lack of understanding but from lack of resolve and courage ⓘ
associatedWith concept of progress through reason ⓘ
emancipation from tutelage ⓘ
author Immanuel Kant ⓘ
centralThesis enlightenment requires freedom to make public use of reason in all matters ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Kingdom of Prussia ⓘ
linked to: Prussia
criticizes paternalistic authority over citizens’ thinking ⓘ
definesEnlightenmentAs humanity’s emergence from self-imposed immaturity ⓘ
distinguishesBetween public use of reason and private use of reason ⓘ
emphasizes courageous use of one’s own understanding ⓘ
famousMotto Sapere aude ⓘ
genre philosophical essay ⓘ
historicalContext late 18th-century Prussia ⓘ
influenced critical theory ⓘ
later debates on modernity ⓘ
political philosophy of autonomy ⓘ
keyConcept freedom of thought ⓘ
private use of reason ⓘ
public use of reason ⓘ
sapere aude ⓘ
self-imposed immaturity ⓘ
language German ⓘ
mainTopic enlightenment (philosophy) ⓘ
intellectual autonomy ⓘ
use of reason ⓘ
mottoTranslation Dare to know ⓘ
notableQuote Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. ⓘ
Have courage to use your own understanding! ⓘ
originalPublicationType journal article ⓘ
originalTitle Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung? ⓘ
philosophicalDiscipline moral philosophy ⓘ
philosophy of history ⓘ
political philosophy ⓘ
philosophicalMovement Enlightenment ⓘ
privateUseOfReasonDefinedAs use of reason within a civil post or office ⓘ
publicationYear 1784 ⓘ
publicUseOfReasonDefinedAs use of reason as a scholar addressing the reading public ⓘ
subjectOf extensive scholarly commentary ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

German Enlightenment → hasKeyWork → What is Enlightenment? ⓘ
What is Enlightenment? → originalTitle → Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung? ⓘ
linked to: What is Enlightenment?
What is Enlightenment? → notableQuote → Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. ⓘ
linked to: What is Enlightenment?
"Enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from self-incurred immaturity" → addressesQuestion → "What is Enlightenment?" ⓘ
linked to: What is Enlightenment?