SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

Immanuel Kant (German philosopher, 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) argues in "What is Enlightenment?" that "enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity." Kant defines “enlightenment” as man’s recognition of his own reason and intellect and rejection of church-and-state authorities that attempt to limit man’s ability to think for himself.

Pay special attention to the rejection of God as the all-knowing and powerful who played an important part of human life in the ancient and medieval times. Think of Oedipus who could not escape his fate fell on him from the prophecy. Think of Dante’s Divine Comedy in which man went through purgatory to purge his sins in the hope of salvation.