Freedom leads to enlightenment and without it one would never become enlightened. Immanuel Kant makes a claim such as this to expound on the idea that without freedom there is no growth and knowledge. Enlightenment cannot come about if one does not have the opportunity to learn or share their findings. The ones who allow themselves to remained chained as slaves to the ignorance of society around them have never and will never gain true enlightenment, simply because they care not to deepen their own understanding of the world and its functions. Mental slavery, as Kant indirectly states it, is not the fault of anyone other than the individual, and to better one's self they must first understand how to break out of their own captivity and the weight of conformity that society has placed on them. Although society in and of itself is full of conformist ideals and pressures, it is the responsibility of the individual to learn and pursue knowledge for the sake of their own welfare. Kant boldly states that "as a scholar [one] has complete freedom" and this is due to the idea that scholars are allowed to be radical in thought as long as they are respectful in actions, along with the underlying tone that anyone can be a scholar if they please (Paragraph 7). As Kant seeks to argue for the revolution of the mind, he carefully and effectively defines enlightenment as a kind of personal freedom rather than large-scale revolution.
P.S. I commented on AnnaKate's and Rachael's posts.
P.S. I commented on AnnaKate's and Rachael's posts.
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