An Analysis Of What Is Enlightenment By Kant Philosophy Essay

An Analysis Of What Is Enlightenment By Kant Philosophy Essay The title of the essay was what is enlightenment it was written in 1784, in the essay he basically replied to a question that was put forward an year earlier by Reverand Johann Zollner, he was also a government official. Reverand had posed an open question to all about removal of clergy from marriages, many people replied but the most famous one is by Kant. The essay reflected the present situation that existed when he wrote the essay. The situation had 3 basic characterstics: the present was different from the previous eras in some distinct way, second; it represented some important upcoming events; third; it meant that the world was moving towards something new. In his essay Kant discusses the reasons for the absence of enlightenment and what is required from people for enlightenment to flourish. Kant defines enlightenment that a person achieves when he frees himself from immaturity that he caused himself. Immaturity to Kant means an inability to be able to think on your own and to rely on other peoples opinions to make decisions, this also means that a person is immature if he is unable to use his own judgment and understanding of things. Kant further explains that the immature person is so because he lets others decide for him and he becomes dependent on help from others so much so that acting and thinking on your own becomes some thing very difficult. Here to explain his argument Kant draws an analogy of the influence of government on its people with tamed animals, who are trained to not cross a certain boundary without their carts by making the animals aware of the dangers that lie ahead. This makes the cattle afraid to even try and see for it self. In the same way the government provides its people with a set of beliefs and ideas that the immature person immediately agrees upon and which aids in furthering his immaturity. Kant argues that it is extremely difficult for a man to reach maturity alone but it is easy for a number of people to do so together. The reason is that when a person starts relying on others for guidance he finds it increasingly difficult to break out of that pattern and start thinking on his own as any mistakes he makes will highlight the defects in his way of thinking. Kant also hints in his essay that a person needs certain qualities to leave immaturity, and these include fearlessness and vigor. Kant goes on to say that if a society was given freedom it will inevitably become enlightened. This statement seems a little extreme but he goes on to explain further that for enlightenment to reach everyone it should be brought about slowly and gently. Then Kant goes on to explain how and to what extent freedom should be excercised. Kant explains that public use of freedom is absolutely essential for enlightenment to take place. He says once people start expressing themselves openly in public forums, these thoughts will eventually influence decisions taken by those in positions of authority. The philosopher also points out the difference between use of freedom at an individual level and at a public level. Like I mentioned earlier, to attain enlightenment public freedom has to be used, however he says that use of freedom at an individual level is not useful at all. Kant also differentiates between expressing of ones opinions and acting on those opinions, he uses an example of a clergyman at the church. He is appointed on the condition that he will teach the principles laid down by the church so he has to teach them as it is. However he can point out constructive criticisms in the way of working of the church which can then be reviewed by his seniors. Thus Kant points out that one can not achieve enlightenment without following the laws of the society, he has to obey the laws but at the same time he should have the courage to criticize what he things is wrong or should be changed. So for him any society that does not obey the laws cannot achieve enlightenment. Kant lived at a time when Monarchy was prevalent in the world and it was considered one of the best ways of running a country. So a question arises here that is this theory acceptable in a democratic environment? My answer is No. Kant says that revolutions are counterproductive as new ideas replace old ones those new ideas are imposed on the immature population like the older ideas were. So according to Kant the situation brings about no difference but this is not true for a democratic world where rulers are selected by the people and can be changed if majority of the population is dissatisfied. However one of the unique principles of democracy is that people have freedom. They have the freedom to think and either choose to extend the current governments terms or elect a new leader if they are not satisfied with the performance of the current one. Thus it is evident that the slow and gradual change that Kant talks about can be implemented in Monarchial society, it may even be the most efficient way of bringing about change but in a democratic world this is not possible. Another aspect is that in order for a theory to be effective it needs to draw a middle ground between theory and practice. Some philosophers lack the judgment to make the theory practical others are unable to complete their theory as they lack some form of practical experience. Kants theory is also lacking in some respects. Kants theories in general have often been criticized as too vague to be practical and useful. All human beings live in a certain time period and place. It is often not possible to separate rationality from our personality, so often we ponder over some issues that others are facing in an abstract way but for anything the starting point should be our own situation. It has often been assumed by many philosophers that we can be rational and we can put our personalities aside to come up with principles that apply to all, but this is not true. Philosphers like Kant assumed this because most enlightenment thinkers were from the same period and place (Europe) this lead them to think that their answers were rational but they were not, they also reflected the culture that these ideas originated in. Kants theory has resulted in criticism and arguments from many philosophers, however whatever one thinks about this philosophy one thing cannot be ignore; i.e. its historical significance. So many years have passed yet Kants theories continue to influence us and the concept of freedom introduced by him has been embraced very clearly by all and thus his work is also very important in helping us understand what enlightenment and freedom is all about. Work Cited Kant, Immanuel. An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?  An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?  (1784). Print.

Freight Market Equilibrium Theory :: essays research papers fc

Freight Market Equilibrium Theory An amazing assortment of goods are moved over the worlds ocean trade routes. Of necessity, the carriers charge for the service they render. These charges vary almost as widely as do the cargoes, for they mirror both the shipowner’s costs and the special conditions prevailing on the trade routes traversed by the ships. Ocean freight rates may be described as the prices charged for the services of water carriers. Each ship operator develops it’s own rates, usually without consultation with the shippers. The charges reflect the cost of providing the carriage, the value of this service to the owner of the goods, the ability of the merchandise to support the expense of transportation, and economic conditions in general. Freight rates truly reflect the working of the laws of supply and demand. In tramp shipping, particularly, it is possible to observe how these factors influence the rise or fall of freight rates from day to day and from cargo to cargo. Tramp ships transport, in shipload (or â€Å"full cargo†) lots, commodities which, like coal, grain, ore, and phosphate rock, can be moved in bulk. The fact that usually only one shipper and one commodity are involved simplifies the establishment of a freight rate for this particular movement. To the capital charges of ownership and the expense of administration and overhead must be added the cost of running the ship, handling the cargo, and paying port fees and harbor dues. Against this total is set the number of tons to be hauled, and the resultant figure is what the tramp must charge, per ton of cargo loaded, to break even on the contemplated voyage. If competitive conditions permit, a margin for profit will form part of the quoted rate. If however the prevailing economic climate is unfavorable, the owner has the privilege of retiring the ship to a quit backwater, there to wait until the financial skies are brighter. The tramp operator does not depend upon the longterm goodwill of the shippers, but is free to accept those offers which appear profitable at the moment. When adversity threatens, those charters are accepted which minimize anticipated losses. If there is a choice, the cost of temporary lay-up is contrasted with the loss which continued operation might produce, and the less expensive alternative is selected in a bow to the inevitable made with whatever grace that can be mustered.

Easily Misunderstood Essay

How often have you found yourself talking to someone close to you, thinking the conversation is going along great when the other person reacts in an irritated manner? Or even an anxious manner? You think back to what you have said, reviewing your comments and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Well you have just experienced a misunderstanding. For many people, their communication skills with loved ones are not as strong as they think† (Anon. , 2011, p. 1). Communication is a two way street where both people need to be traveling the same direction. When one person gets off course or veers then we have a miscommunication. In the article entitled, â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† study co-author Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, explained, â€Å"Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight. Getting close to someone appears to create the illusion of understanding more than actual understanding† (as cited in Anon. , 2011, p. 1). I had just such a miscommunication take place tonight. â€Å"As social animals, we want and need connections with other people† (Soles, 2011, p. 22). Tonight I experienced a miscommunication with my family. We were planning to get together as we usually try to do on Monday nights, due to misunderstanding and miscommunication on everyone’s part we did not end up getting together. I wanted that connection to my family. So alas I write this paper about that very miscommunication instead. Our first mistake was trying to organize it through texting and two different people trying to coordinate it at the same time. That never works. Secondly, my mom assumed no one was going to show up so she made other plans before waiting for any of us to answer back. The only plus to the experience is she did let us know in time so we didn’t head to her house and accidentally show up when her friend did too. To avoid this type of miscommunication in the future we could talk on the phone or email everyone at one time. Also clarify when one thinks the response is in the negative and not the affirmative. If one of us is questioning an answer as iffy then ask the sender to clarify their response and not assume it is an automatic no. These days with all the social media, texting, emailing, etc. I find miscommunications to be more prevalent and more abundant. Many of us have had our feelings hurt by a simple misunderstanding or misspelling when receiving an electronic message. In my example from tonight there were too many veering cars on our road to communicating though luckily no collisions. Had we just communicated more openly and honestly not assuming anything we could have avoided the misunderstandings and any potential hurt feelings. Communication is a two way street but you both have to be going the same direction or it leads to miscommunication.

The War Over Territory On The Southern Border - 1567 Words

Happiness is often mistaken for a simple concept at first glance, even though it is often responsible for a human’s actions, thoughts, and even perspective on numerous topics. Different social factors come together from almost every portion of life, to create one’s happiness ranking. A strategy like this can be used by a single person, but it also has the ability to be used to analyze a certain place or country. One country that’s currently dealing with a significant amount of issues, is Lebanon. Many of the social factors looked at as a source of happiness, are either missing or being threatened by radical groups within the country. War over territory on the southern border has been a consistent problem within the country for decades, leading to a significant amount of destruction and tension between the Lebanese and their neighbors. Not to mention, many major cities like Beirut have been plagued by the country’s inability to properly remove waste and con trol the homeless population. Maybe the biggest uproar taking place in Lebanon right now, is the youth unhappiness with religion and the impact it has on society. On the other hand, the positives are not exactly where they should be. Lebanon has been fortunate to have fertile land and great tourist destinations. On top of that, the country is still working towards creating an equal playing field for both men and women. It has been a rather slow process, but changes are coming. Even some of the industries within the countryShow MoreRelatedThe Democratic Party Split Of 1860 Over The Slavery Issue999 Words   |  4 PagesThe Democratic Party split in 1860 over the slavery issue. 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