Philosophy Summary Assignment

Ashlee Taylor, Intro to Phil, Pages 3-4, 11-12, 14, 15-18, 21, and 3 articles on website

Immanuel Kant was one of the most influential philosophers of the Enlightenment era. He had a profound effect on modern epistemology, the study of knowledge, and ethics. He described Enlightenment as man’s release from his own inflicted immaturity. He then went on to say that immaturity is the inability to comprehend your own knowledge without the instruction of another. This immaturity is self-inflicted due to the absence of not having someone tell you how to use the guidance given, and not from the lack of understanding of the advice given. The motto of Enlightenment is to have the intrinsic motivation to apply your own self-given advice. Kant believed that the majority of the population during the Enlightenment period were either lazy or cowards who relied on other people, called guardians, to tell them how to think. He said that laziness was too cumbersome to educate themselves, and that it was so much more easier to immature, or not able to do anything without guidance. He also explained that coward-ness was just amplified by laziness. The people of the Enlightenment period were too afraid to venture off the beaten path, and explore the world for themselves. They were afraid of the failure that may have resulted from taking a risk in the first place. He says that since the people have been a direct result of the laziness and coward-ness, it is difficult for people to break free from the guidance of others, and to take the risk and break free of the norm. People have grown accustomed to being content with not having any change. He says that it may difficult for some of these people, but it is easy for a number of people to do so together. The reason why it maybe difficult is due to the fact that it is hard for people to overcome their laziness and break free of their patterns of daily life, and to challenge their cowardice and start thinking of ways to overcome their own...