Immanuel Kant: The Purpose Of The Enlightenment

Immanuel Kant defines the Enlightenment as “humankind release from its self-incurred immaturity.”Immanuel Kant defines the Enlightenment as “humankind release from its self-incurred immaturity.”So to be enlightened would mean to use one’s own ability to observe the world around them. Take a look at the enlightenment in a broader sense. The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy defines enlightenment as “the process of undertaking to think for oneself, to employ in determining what to believe and how to act”. While the enlightenment went against the customs and norms of the time period, it played a major part in shaping the culture of America because it had a huge impact on the culture and traditions of the 16th century, many scientists and philosophers spread their idea amongst the society, and it influenced a lot of modern day culture in America.

The enlightenment was a dramatic revolution in science, philosophy, society, and politics. The purpose of this movement was to push society away from the medieval age and into a modern western society. It began in the 16th and 17th century with the scientific revolution. The scientific revolution looked to explain scientific principles from a philosophical point of view. Prior to the enlightenment, scientific laws and principles were agreed upon by society. No oOne sought to explain or prove the “science” behind certain things. However, this would quickly change with the emergence of the scientific revolution. The basis of the revolution was the scientific method. This method tested the tradition behind science, and galvanized scientists to understand the logic behind theories and how the universe operated. The scientific method included seven steps: (1) state the problem (2) Gather Information (3) Form a Hypothesis (4) Test the Hypothesis (5) Record and Analyze data (6) State a conclusion (7) repeat the process. This process has been used to prove scientific theories