So, having finished with Descartes, now Words Crush Wednesday has caught up with the other reading from that week (yes, this semester’s quotes are likely to keep going until next semester), What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant. Translated by Peter Gay.
Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed nonage. Nonage is the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance. This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one’s own mind without another’s guidance. Dare to know! (Sapere aude.) “Have the courage to use your own understanding,” is therefore the motto of the enlightened.
Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why such a large part of mankind gladly remain minors all their lives, long after nature has freed them from external guidance. They are the reasons why it is so easy for others to set themselves up as guardians. It is so comfortable to be a minor. If I have a book that thinks for me, a pastor who acts as my conscience, a physician who prescribes my diet, and so on — then I have no need to exert myself. I have no need to think, if only I can pay; others will take care of that disagreeable business for me. Those guardians who have kindly taken supervision upon themselves see to it that the overwhelming majority of mankind — among them the entire fair sex — should consider the step to maturity not only as hard, but as extremely dangerous. First, these guardians make their domestic cattle stupid and carefully prevent the docile creatures from taking a single step without the leading-strings to which they have fastened them. Then they show them the danger that would threaten them if they should try to walk by themselves. Now, this danger is not really very great; after stumbling a few times they would, at last, learn to walk. However, examples of such failures intimidate and generally discourage all further attempts.
That was actually the opening of the piece, btw.
We're All Mad Here! 
I find your post interesting.
Most humans remain minors all their lives. I would include among minors most political and intellectual leaders also as they also just follow the established ways of thinking and are too lazy and cowardly to think for themselves. . Actually I would include every one who has not understood ‘the distinction between the world as it is and the world as we know it’ to be a minor and unenlightened.
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