Voltaire Vs Kant

The Enlightenment was a time where people were beginning to find out that they could speak out against their oppressive leaders and bring to light many of the wrongdoings happening within the many institutions at the time. Two main philosophes who argued for the Enlightenment and its benefits to society in the 18th century were Immanuel Kant and Voltaire, also known as Francois Marie Arouet. These two prominent thinkers criticized the current social, political, and religious systems in place at the time. While both philosophers argue that the Enlightenment is essential to human growth, they both use different ideas and criticisms to prove their point. Both Kant and Voltaire argued that Enlightenment is important in mankind’s growth as a whole

This restriction of freedom allows humans to become lazy and immature which prevents them from becoming Enlightened. Kant argues that once people embrace laziness and immaturity, it becomes difficult to think by one’s self. He believes in the use of two types of reason, the public and private use of reason. He claims that the public use of reason alone can bring mankind into Enlightenment because it is this reasoning that allows groups of people with similar thoughts and criticisms to take a stance on a specific issue and bring it to the attention of the king. On the other hand, the private use of reason, is essentially common sense because it allows people to realize if and when to speak out and give their opinion. Kant claims that attempting to become enlightened by one’s self is extremely difficult but not impossible, because the people who think for themselves first, will be the people who help lead others to Enlightenment. These people who first become enlightened want to spread their thoughts which is why they help others become enlightened because they know that it does not just benefit themselves but also the people they are enlightening. The process of Enlightenment only works if people encourage becoming enlightened, such as rulers allowing people to express their ideas and tolerance. Ultimately, the obstacle in the way of