Kant makes a distinction in "What is Enlightenment?" between "public use of reason" and "private use of reason." This distinction uses the terms "public" and "private" in rather unusual ways. To help to clarify what Kant means by these two different forms of reason, try applying his distinction in real life. Think about this class, English 206/CWL 257. When you read for class, participate in class, write on the blog, or work on a paper, are you using your reason "publicly" or "privately," according to Kant's definitions? Quote Kant's precise words to support your claim.
Deadline: Wednesday (10/21), start of class.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
9 comments:
I believe that, according to Kant's definition, we are engaging in the "private use of reason." Debating in a classroom doesn't automatically make our reasoning public. According to Kant, private reasoning may exist "without particularly hindering the progress of enlightenment" (PER, 4). Thus, it is possible to be privately reasoning and still advance learning at the same time.
In fact, the classroom fits rather well with Kant's concept of private reasoning. Although we discuss on the blog/in class and write papers, we are exactly like the clergyman that Kant uses as an example of private use of reason. Though the clergyman addresses a congregation of people, this form of reason is "merely private, because this congregation is only a domestic one (even if it be a large gathering)" (PER, 4). The vast majority of our thoughts about Enlightenment literature stays within the confines of the classroom. One who uses public reasoning "speak[s] to his public, the world" (PER, 4). We are not sharing our ideas with the entire world in the classroom. Just like the clergyman's address to the congregation, our debates and ideas fall within the domestic realm of the classroom.
I see our class as being both a form of public and private reasoning. I agree with Kelsey that debating in a classroom seems more of a private form of reasoning because we are secluded from the outside public. However, as Kant writes "Private use I call that which one may make of it in a particular civil post or office which is trusted to him. Many affairs which are conducted in the interest of the community require a certain mechanism...Here argument is certainly not allowed--one must obey"(3). In the classroom argument is allowed and even encouraged. As students we are not forced to agree with a certain view or idea. We, as students, are encouraged to think for ourselves. Of course, students must obey certain rules in the classroom, but not to the extent where students are domesticated and frightened into obeying. Furthermore, in the quote Kant also mentions the community. The classroom does not act as a community, but more of a mass of individualistic minds pursuing unique goals.
"the public use of one's reason must always be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among men...the use which a person makes of it a scholar before the reading public" According to Kant, the public use of reason must always be free. While, in this class we have many options for outlet being blogging, paper composition, or class participation we are still limited by the restrictions that are mitigated by the class structure. Blog posts and essays are guided by prompts and class discussion is limited by general rules of class conduct. Thus, according to Kant, we as students are filling a "particular civil post" as students and thus are conducting reason through a private means. With this in mind we are still appealing to the "reading public" in a manner to foster the use of reason. So although we are limited in the role of a "civil post" we are conversing with the educated public to induce enlightenment.
Throughout English 206, there is private reasoning going on. As Will said, though there is many opportunities to express ourselves publicly, there are also many guidelines for these means of participation. Kant claims that scholars "certainly can argue without hurting the affairs for which he is in part responsible as a passive memeber"(3), portaying that one must still adhere to the opinions of others while speaking. While many times it seems that within the classroom we are free to speak what we'd like, there is also the great possibility that many atill "passively conduct themselves with an artifical unanimity" (3) and many times most agree with the first statement made about a certain works. With blogging and papers, many times the prompts may be "narrowly restricted" (3) and we are unable to express all that we would like to in such a reasoning setting.
I guess what we read for class on our own would fall under what could eventually produce public reasoning (we're working it out on our own and we are free to tell people about whatever that is), while what we do in the actual class would qualify as private reasoning; I think once we step into the classroom public reasoning is no longer an option because there's always a more or less 'right' answer that we can agree on. So, for the good of the classroom - so that the class can move forward - we become "passive members" (3) of Eng 206, utilizing our private reasoning in order to get the grade and pass the class.
I guess if someone wanted they could use their public reasoning in the classroom and say something really ballsy and unconventional, but that would be abusing the responsibilities of the "civil post or office which is intrusted to him" (3).
Once we leave the classroom, we're allowed to think on our own again, but as long as we're in there we have to play by the rules.
Kant supports the use of private reasoning for the sake of keeping things together: "the interest of the community...so that the government may direct them to public ends, or at least prevent them from destroying those ends" (3). If everyone only used public reasoning all the time, nothing would get done. Like the officer who ignores his superiors, the citizen who doesn't pay his taxes, and the clergyman who doesn't preach from the bible, the student who doesn't conform to Eng 206's - or any class's - standards would get himself nowhere and slow everyone else down in the process.
I believe that Kant would say that we are using the "private use of reason". "The use, therefore, which an appointed teacher makes of his reason before his congregation is merely private, because this congregation is only a domestic one (even if it be a large gathering)" (p. 4). We are a "domestic" congregation. In other words, our class is just a small bunch of people, and what we say in this class is not going to influence the entire world.
I have to use my reasoning to agree that "We" as a class function as a fraction of society. We are obligated as students to attend a structured ciricullum, finish our work, and be curtailed away from tangent ideas. In that regard we follow Kant's "private use of reason".
"Many affairs which are conducted in the interest of the community require a certain mechanism through which some members of the community must passively conduct themselves with an artificial unanimity"(Kant 3). Thusly, the teacher is able to conduct lessons that is uniform with the academic cannon.
However, we use our own freedoms to express ourselves in our coursework through reading and blogging. Kant endorses the individual to seek out knowledge instead of relying upon other people to "think" for you. The "public use of reason" in our classroom allows ourselves to argue, interpret, and express our interpretation of literary works openly without "hurting the affairs for which he is in part responsible as a passive member" (Kant 3). We advance public knowledge because we challenge ourselves to know.
I have to use my reasoning to agree that "We" as a class function as a fraction of society. We are obligated as students to attend a structured ciricullum, finish our work, and be curtailed away from tangent ideas. In that regard we follow Kant's "private use of reason".
"Many affairs which are conducted in the interest of the community require a certain mechanism through which some members of the community must passively conduct themselves with an artificial unanimity"(Kant 3). Thusly, the teacher is able to conduct lessons that is uniform with the academic cannon.
However, we use our own freedoms to express ourselves in our coursework through reading and blogging. Kant endorses the individual to seek out knowledge instead of relying upon other people to "think" for you. The "public use of reason" in our classroom allows ourselves to argue, interpret, and express our interpretation of literary works openly without "hurting the affairs for which he is in part responsible as a passive member" (Kant 3). We advance public knowledge because we challenge ourselves to know.
Post a Comment