Kant’s Understanding of Enlightenment

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The relationship between rational and supernatural, a pointed thought and superstitious belief, has always been ambivalent. On one side, enlightenment thinkers insist on logic and reason to be the foundation for a developed, mature person and society; on the other, supernatural is intertwined deeply with the very nature of humanity. It is through the lens of spiritual belief and superstitious fear that people first perceived the objective reality since the beginnings of history. In a way, supernatural can be considered a form of enlightenment thought: it attempted to explain and categorize various phenomena, fit them into the worldview as rationally as possible, although with primitive tools and ideas. There is indeed a deep connection between supernatural and enlightenment, as the former provided ethical, cultural, social basis for the enhancement of logical thinking the latter used to achieve a new level of reality’s understanding.

Body

For Kant, enlightenment is a higher stage in the development of a person, when they are freed from the pressure of external authority on their thought. Through enlightenment thought, people reach the ability to freely and unlimitedly use their minds and dare to know everything that exists with its help (Kant 1). “Sapere aude!” – “Dare to understand!” – becomes the motto of the enlightenment; however, one can apply the same statement to the supernatural explanations. Both the enlightenment and the supernatural belief dare the humanity to try and understand the world around it, use the minds of people to gain knowledge of the unknown. Although their approaches are fundamentally opposite, as enlightenment thought uses formal logic and reason to try and explain a phenomenon, while supernatural calls for a more spiritual explanation, both are crucial for human development.

Reflecting on the world-historical process, Kant understands its content as the realization of nature’s plan for the human race. By this plan, he implies the full development of all the potential invested by nature in the human race, and, above all, the pinnacle of it – the rational human ability. Kant defines the Age of Enlightenment as a turning point, which is one of the brightest stages in the evolution of the mind in the course of human history. To him, the ultimate maturity – enlightenment – of a person lies in the ability to act and decide on their own, without the outside guidance. Thus, in Kant’s paradigm, a person’s willingness to reassess and rethink the existing doctrines and develop their own understanding of a phenomenon is a sign of enlightenment, and thus, of inner growth.

In this regard, one can consider Ueda Akinari a rather good example of an enlightened thinker, despite the fact that his stories use supernatural as a main set for narrative. Ueda Akinari thought a lot about the essence of fiction, which resulted in the development of his own understanding of it (Akinari and Chambers 38). The analysis of classical novels and stories of the Heian era led him to the question of what a story is, what the reader sees in it, why and how the author creates it. His views come down to the fact that fiction is inherent in literature, which is a tool for embodying the author’s concept and which gives the work an aesthetic value. Thus, in Akinari’s understanding, a work of art was not an illustration of a predetermined religious or ethical idea, rather, it embodied the author’s individual views in the form of a narrative.

Conclusion

Kant’s understanding of enlightenment reflected not only his philosophical views but also his understanding of contemporary society. To him, the real maturity of a person lies in the ability to find inner strength to stray from a well-known path and think for themselves. From this perspective, Akinari’s horror stories reflect the concept of enlightenment in supernatural fiction. Through analyzing folklore and mythology, and applying his own understanding of their meaning, Akinari created stories which, while familiar to a reader in their cultural basis, are entirely unique in their message. This example outlines the deep, intricate connection between the enlightened thought and supernatural.

Works Cited

Kant, Immanuel. What Is Enlightenment? Hackett Publishing, 1784.

Ueda, Akinari, and Anthony H. Chambers. Tales of Moonlight and Rain: A Study and Translation by Anthony H. Chambers. Columbia University Press, 2007.

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Kant’s Understanding of Enlightenment

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