In the essay What Is Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant provides readers with the definition of enlightenment as well as the path towards it. In his own words, enlightenment may be defined as “man’s release from his self-imposed tutelage.” The tutelage, which can also be perceived as immaturity, is the concept by which an individual perceives the world and is unable to utilize their own understanding without the guidance of others. As such, enlightenment may be achieved in the case in which a person gains the courage to rely on their own understandings and reasonings to guide their lives and beliefs.
Kant proposes that the state of unenlightenment is easy as it allows for complete reliance on others. As such, the foundation for enlightenment is rooted in freedom, and Kant believed that in the case that freedom is granted, people are likely to follow enlightenment in order to achieve it. However, Kant argues that most are not free in most senses. Even authoritarian figures lack freedom as they are victims of their own systems, which have been inherited and will continue to exist after them. He elaborates by making a distinction between public freedom and civic duty. Public freedom refers to the ability to criticize and discuss existing structures such as the military or taxation. However, when one is faced with civic duty, such as the order to pay bills or perform military tasks, one must do so as a result of their civic duty.
In the closing paragraphs of the essay, Kant discusses the further complexities of enlightenment through the lenses of civil, spiritual, and intellectual freedoms. He argues that those that are with less civil freedom are, in fact, those that uphold greater freedom in areas of intellect and spirituality. As a result, individuals with greater intellectual freedom improve the health of society by perceiving all people as having dignity.