Comparing Kant And The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was a period that is seen as the prime mover of thought from admiring and attributing the wonders of the world to God to moving the focus in learning about God’s nature in terms which are more attributed as fact. This time philosophers were known for their works and their continual critiques towards their societies. The philosophers were writing in terms regarding what they considered the natural order of nature. The writers were all contributors to the Enlightenment and showed aspects of strengths/weaknesses in the society. Montaigne, Baylor, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant are the critics and vocal observers of their society, but their goals are exemplified through in a passage in Taste that says “authors agree that it is a good taste, above all, distinguishes the educated man and the civilized county” (335). They could be seen as critics of their times or in relation to taste they are the taste testers if society where the societies’ bright spots are

To distinguish the times is a way the people know what makes their time distinct. Kant speaks in hope that his readers would frown upon the idea assistance should overshadow own reason as illustrated in:“ If I have a book which understands for me, a pastor who has a conscience for me, a physician who decides my diet, and so forth, I need not trouble myself”. There are the few that went beyond the tutelage in their time, but it seems like he wants the occurrence to be more widespread. Montaigne’s statement “the other testimony from antiquity, to which would some would apply this discovery of the new World” is significant because if the word antiquity was already coined then the Enlightenment is a time where they are keeping track of their history as one that is of “fiery expression of his love of men, of liberty, of enlightenment, and of progress”