Kant vs. Schopenhauer on enlightenment
In the age of enlightenment, new and radical expressions and ideas emerged at the forefront of philosophy. Amongst German philosophers, the question of what enlightenment truly encompassed, was a major focal point. Two specific philosophers of this age are Immanuel Kant (during) and Arthur Schopenhauer (late), both have separate views on the subject of gained wisdom and intellect, the perfectability of human nature that comes along with being enlightened. Kant feels that enlightenment is "man's emergence from his self-indurred immaturity". In other words, a detachment from any religious sect. Schopenhauer goes one step further too offer the idea that true enlightenment comes from knowledge of fate, brutality, and the sin that the human race is drown in. But in contrast, Schopenhauer feels that acceptance of these truths can still be possible under rule, and under religious guidance. It is Schopenhauer's view of enlightenment that reaches closer to the truth. Kant was a man who was raised during the Enlightenment. In his work entitled What is Enlightenment, he preaches like a mad Atheist, accusing any follower of religious faith of bing immature and lazy."It is all too easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians."
This is his view, his vision. "Argue as much as you like and about whatever you like, but obey." What oppression might he be referring to that man must be free from? Free from what? Free from religious misguiding. Wisdom, comes from freedom. Enlightenment comes solely from freedom of rules and the oppression that religion brings. "Evil is just what is positive; it makes our own existence felt. Happiness and satisfaction only imply some state of pain brought to an end." This is the first step to understanding human nature, to comprehend that pain is good; pain is needed to feel joy. "A certain amount of care or pain or trouble is necessary for every man at all times". This pain, this suffrage is needed in life. "For if all wishes were fulfilled as soon as they arose, how would man occupy their lives? What would they do with their time?" A fine point indeed. Strife brings life, you could say. This is where Schopenhauer's theory comes in. What Schopenhauer offers as the keys to enlightenment define more closely, what it means to be enlightened. Education in understanding why we think the way we do, why we must suffer at times in order to see the good, why we feel so overwhelmed so often, for our heads are in two many different times at once, and why we must fined calm in the present moment. Schopenhauer was a romantic. He wrote of the needs of the body and soul, more so than of the mind. His views came later than Kant's, and built on them in part. But what he offers are terrific guidelines for one to go by in his quest for true enlightened knowledge. A man cannot be enlightened in freedom, for he will still feel bored, still express worry and pain, sin and despair, without an understanding of how the bad he feels creates his good. A man needs to know this, in his freedom, to understand where, why and who he is, simple freedom from rule cannot provide this type of clarity. Schopenhauer feels also, that we are both above, and below the animal kingdom with this perception. We have knowledge of pain and happiness far greater than any animal would, but this is this a good thing? Man seeks to deliver himself from boredom constantly, but in truth, he has only been searching for the simple necessities all alon
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Approximate Word count = 1499
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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