What is Enlightenment?(A small text or a slew of an essay by Emmanuel Kant)
Having watched and listened the mentioned video on Philosophy, Modernity and Intellectual history: "What is enlightenment". I'm writing my comprehensive understanding on it.
As the concept of enlightenment is based on philosophy and social movement, it reflects so. As the very definition of Enlightenment says: "The very project of enlightenment is to make the world more of a home for humanbeings(hospitable) and this is only possible through pure reason, which will reduce in turn its dangers and bringout potentiality". While not denying to believe in faith and belief.
It only can be made possible by merging the both "phenomenal(the world of Science) and noumenal(the world of faith / immortal soul)" and steering on the middle path. With its co-existence only poeple can be curious to know more of the world, be courageous, believe in immortal soul and pure reason, which will in turn also help to extract / built clear and distinct ideas.
For which he is also postulating two theories; one by Rene Descartes and another by John Locke. Where the former is based on Plato's assumption, "if idea has connection with real"? Which actually arises skepticism in mind. Basing his argument / sentence on skepticism, Descartes says, "I think therefore, I am". Which means according to Descartes, Everything around is doubtful.
For Example: If a person is seeing a bookcase / clock. What for him / her is thing, which he / she is seeing, can't be for another. Or say seeing from his point of view, can't be a bookcase but a square, sticked woodsticks, which has given it a wide rectangular shape.
It seems to be on surface level as the thinker is doubting, but actually isn't. He is saying, "I'm thinking" and the ideas and further theorums can be generated from this, basing on mathematics, science and calculation.
The another is based on "Empericism". Which says, it is all about experience, a person gets from the world, can be experimental, can be gained by constant sensation, a specific construction of mind to see the world. While Kant says, "Experience is a habit or custom".
Travelling in middle, Kant(a complex thinker)says that it must be steered between the two "Phenomenal" and "noumenal" and so he is having is cake and eating it too.
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