Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast, brought to you with the support of the philosophy department at King's College London and the LMU in Munich, online

at historyof philosophy.net. Today's episode, Freedom to Philosophies, introduction to early modern

philosophy. I don't know about you, but the last time I wrote into a magazine, I was probably about

11 years old and trying to win some kind of contest, and by a magazine, I mean comic book.

Emmanuel Kant had loftier ambitions. He was provoked by a comment from a contributor to the

Berlin Monthly named Johann Friedrich Zerner, who in the midst of discussing,

of all things, the role of clergy in marriage ceremonies, raised the question, what is

Enlightenment?

What is Alvqlernardung?

Being one of the most important figures of the Enlightenment, Kant presumably figured he ought to

know the answer.

His response was published in a 1784 issue of the same periodical.

Now, Kant is not known for readable or rhetorically effective prose.

I have it on good authority that Germans sometimes read his works in English translation

because they find it easier to follow than the original.

But this short essay is clear and to the point,

and features some genuinely quotable lines, including the first sentence,

Enlightenment is humankind's exit from its self-encured immaturity.

As Kant immediately explains, by immaturity unmindicke,

he means being unable to reason without guidance from someone else.

The motto of enlightenment is thus, have the courage to use your own reason.

Notice that Kant is here describing enlightenment, not the enlightenment.

...