HIST 1003 Lecture : 2 11 14 Class Notes
Document Summary
Immanuel kant"s definition: "enlightenment is man"s overcoming of his self- imposed immaturity : people did it without thinking. Possibility of improvement: you could do better, you could make a difference, you can change. Unity: usefulness, knowledge that can be used to do something with, they felt that we should focus on nature rather than the bible. Trust in the power of individual reason. Importance of reading of the book of nature : however this singles out people that don"t agree with this. Equality of all men (at least european males: universalism and the law go hand in hand, we are all constructed in the same way and we should all act and think rationally. Belief in authority of scripture (in protestant countries) Belief in the authority of the churches (esp. in catholic countries) Belief in miracles, freaks of nature, god"s invention. Belief in the world as it is, and cannot fundamentally be improved.
