ABSTRACT
The eighteenth century in Europe became known as the Enlightenment, a period characterized by dramatic changes in science, philosophy, society, and politics. The term “Enlightenment” was introduced by Immanuel Kant in his brief 1748 essay (“What Is Enlightenment?”),2 where he defined the concept as humankind’s new phase, defined by its capability of emerging from its “self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance.”3 Man, according to Kant, should be capable of thinking by himself, thus becoming liberated from traditions and institutions, such as the church or political and governmental structures. “This enlightenment,” he posits, “requires nothing
but freedom-and the most innocent of all that may be called ‘freedom’: freedom to make public use of one’s reason in all matters.”4 The principal guiding principles of the new era, according to Kant, are science and philosophy.
