assignment 2 vali dalal
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University of Toronto *
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101
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Arts Humanities
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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Vali Mohammad Dalal
RLG101
Assignment 2 (Kant, Wollstonecraft)
1.
Discuss the main elements that constitute "Enlightenment" in Kant's essay. Include such
issues as immaturity and guardianship, individual responsibility, freedom of speech, and
the sociopolitical dimensions of Kant's discussion. Explain the two sides of religion in
Kant's discussion, both as a social force that can limit freedom to think and as expressing
the sacred "calling" of human beings to become more enlightened. You might also
address the distinction between the private and public uses of reason and the illegitimacy
of a contract prohibiting "further enlightenment" in religion.
Kant's essay was filled with many elements which constituted Enlightenment; he used the
approach of many themes and elements to get his point across to the reader. According to Kant,
immaturity is the inability to utilize what one knows without the help of others. Kant discussed
how acting appropriately means acting rationally according to the moral law known around the
world. However, in the text, Kant states that many individuals are not entirely rational due to
immaturity ( Kant, 1-2 ). Kant also stated that in the moral law, it is vital for a guardian to know
their role and direct the ward's behavior and development according to moral and reasonable
principles. Guardians should also provide guidance and surveillance for immature individuals
who lack free will ( Kant, 2 ). Individual responsibility for Kant is vital in constituting
Enlightenment, which involves individuals developing a thinking process to think by utilizing
reason rather than accepting ideas without knowing the consequences ( Kant, 3 ). Enlightenment,
in general, is known for individuals questioning societal and religious norms rather than
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accepting them without having an opinion. This makes individuals think critically and be
responsible for their actions and judgements. Kant believed everyone should have a voice and
freedom of speech and that open public discussion is crucial for the progression of knowledge
and society. Kant believed new ideas and innovations could be spread better with more open
debates. Kant stated that the limitation to what can be said and written in public is equivalent to
ending the process of enlightenment that is complete ( Kant, 3 ). Kant's views on sociopolitical
dimensions were very vague throughout this essay; he stated that governments should respect
and not interfere with freedom of religion or speech, as it would allow society to become more
enlightened ( Kant, 2-3 ). According to Kant, the government should protect its citizen's use of
public reason instead of imposing restrictions on it. Authoritarian governments can impede the
growth of their population (Kant, 3). Overall, Kant believed that Enlightenment should be that
people should think freely for themselves and that governments should protect their rights for
there to be progress. As a social force, religion can limit freedom of thinking by terminating
debates on specific subjects with the help of censorship. Kant could relate to this when one of his
writings was banned by the government ( Kant, 3-4 ). However, Kant strongly believed that
while religion may be able to limit freedom of thinking or speech, it still allows humans to
become more enlightened. He saw it as an idea of entirely implementing our reason and choice
to go farther toward enlightenment. Kant believes reason and religion go hand in hand ( Kant,
3 ). Although people may have their pirate beliefs, in the public eye, freedom of speech and open
discussions must be allowed so humans can learn about each other's opinions and progress
together ( Kant, 3 ). Kant was not too keen on further enlightenment as he was against any
restrictions on enlightenment. He saw freedom of speech and open discussion as essential for
humans' development and progress. Kant believed that religion should help us achieve our goals
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by applying reason. It is intended to progress our enlightenment and ability to reflect.
2.
Discuss how Wollstonecraft uses religious and theological concepts such as providence,
reason as the "emanation of divinity," creation in the "image of God," and immortality of
the soul to support equality and women's rights. How does she combine this divine
reference point with an emphasis on reforms in education and the right to develop one's
God-given faculties? How does Wollstonecraft see this divine potential for the
development of reason and virtue as either supported or blocked by existing attitudes
toward upbringing, education, and life for women (and men)? How does Wollstonecraft
contribute to the themes of cultivating reason and virtue in ways that go beyond Kant?
Wollstonecraft uses her essay as a way to talk about gender equality and women's rights, using
religious elements and concepts. Wollstonecraft argued that in her work “Vindication of the
Rights of Men," rights are God-given and can be unfolded through reason, which in her eyes was
an “emanation of divinity” ( Wollstonecraft, 2 ). Furthermore, she listed the negatives and
positives in her work “Historical and Moral View of the French Revolution.”, she listed positives
that would help progress humanity, such as advancing rights and justice. Her negatives were that
she criticized authoritarianism and superstition, which were quite prominent at that time in
France ( Wollstonecraft, 2 ). Overall, her main goal here seemed to be reevaluating thoroughly
the drawbacks and advances to continue progressing humanity. Wollstonecraft strongly believed
that men and women were created equally and there is no such thing as one being superior
( Wollstonecraft, 2 ). Even the Bible states that God created humans in His own image, thus
telling us both genders have attributes like reason ( Wollstonecraft, 2). While Wollstonecraft
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discussed “duties as social beings,” she implied that women could acknowledge their
responsibilities to fellow people and God by using reason. She aimed to say as moral beings,
women should deserve the same treatment and respect as men. Wollstone also uses the idea of
fortune, with equality among humans equality. She firmly believed that fortune or plan encloses
humans, disregarding gender and inheriting equality amongst everyone ( Wollstonecraft, 2 ).
Wollstone condemned the idea of the negative view of society to restrict access to education and
learning more about themselves on an intellectual level. She argued that restricting such things
limits progress in our society and won't let us progress further. Her aim for equal education for
women was to break societal barriers and make all individuals disregard their gender to treat
everyone equally ( Wollstonecraft, 1-2). Overall, I believe that Wollstonecraft's ideas go much
further than Kants's since she went into detail about how society wants to limit women from
realizing their true potential. She argued that if women were to get the same opportunities and
education, they could be just as intellectual and moral as men are. Wollstonecrafts main goal was
to change society’s perspective, so no matter what gender it is, one could showcase one ideas to
make the world more pleasant and equal.