What is Enlightment?

According to Kant Enlightenment is a man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Have courage to use your own understanding. Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why such a large proportion of men, even when nature has long liberated them from alien guidance (naturaliter maiorennes), nevertheless gl…