Education on Enlightenment According to Immanuel Kant

Abstract

Immanuel Kant's philosophy is an enlightenment-oriented philosophy that aims to liberate the mind from guardianship by reinforcing the core pillars of enlightenment: rationality, critical thinking, freedom, and morality. In his essay "What is Enlightenment?", Kant highlights enlightenment as a project for human liberation and the exercise of reason. He considers education the primary means to achieve this goal, stating in his book Three Texts that "man becomes human only through education." This emphasizes that education seeks to develop rationality, freedom, and a sense of moral value.

According to Kant, education is inseparable from enlightenment and must serve as a means to cultivate a free and rational individual. The Enlightenment movement championed rationality as a foundation for establishing ethics and knowledge independently of religion. Kant regarded enlightenment as the removal of guardianship over reason, a principle he advocated throughout his writings, transforming education and enlightenment into a societal project aimed at teaching individuals how to philosophize and broadening the base of critical thinking.

This research aims to explore the concept of education for enlightenment in Kant’s philosophy by clarifying the relationship between education and enlightenment and highlighting their foundations. It also seeks to address two key questions: Can enlightenment be achieved without education as a means? On what basis can this goal be realized?

The study starts from the hypothesis that enlightenment cannot spread without educating and teaching society how to philosophize and engage in free critical reasoning. This approach relies on key principles, including rationality, freedom, and the development of moral character.