Was ist Aufklarung?

ENLIGHTENMENT IS man’s release form his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man’s inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude! “Have courage to use your own reason!”–that is the motto of enlightenment.

Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why so great a portion of mankind, after nature has long since discharged them from external direction (naturaliter maiorennes), nevertheless remains under lifelong tutelage, and why it is so easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians. It is so easy not to be of age. If I have a book which understand for me, a pastor who has a conscience for me, a physician who decides my diet, and so forth, I need not trouble myself, I need not think, if I can only pay–others will readily undertake the irksome work for me.

That the step to competence is held to be very dangerous by the far greater portion of mankind (and by the entire fair sex)–quite apart from its being arduous–is seen by those guardians who have so kindly assumed superintendence over them. After the guardians have first made their domestic cattle dumb and have made sure that these placid creatures will not dare take a single step without the harness of the cart to which they are tethered, the guardians then show them the danger which threatens if they try to go alone. Actually, however, this danger is not so great, for by falling a few times they would finally learn to walk alone. But an example of this failure makes them timid and ordinarily frightens them away from further trials.

For any single individual to work himself out of the life under tutelage with has become almost his nature is very difficult. He has come to be fond of this state, and he is for the present really incapable of making use of his reason, for no one has ever let him try it out. Statutes and formulas, those mechanical tools of the rational employment or rather misemployment of his natural gifts, are the fetters of an everlasting tutelage. Whoever throws them off makes only an uncertain leap over the narrowest ditch because he is not accustomed to that kind of free motion. Therefore, there are few who have succeeded by their own exercise of mind both in freeing themselves from incompetence and in achieving a steady pace.

But that the public should enlighten itself is more possible indeed, if only freedom is granted, enlightenment is almost sure to follow. Fore there will always be some independent thinkers, even among established guardians of the great masses, who, after throwing off the yoke of tutelage from their own shoulders, will disseminate the spirit of the rational appreciation of both their own worth and every man’s vocation for thinking for himself. But be it noted that the public, which has first been brought under this yoke bound when it is incited to do so by some of the guardians who are themselves capable of some enlightenment–so harmful is it to implant prejudices, for they later take vengeance on their cultivators or on their decedents. Thus the public can only slowly attain enlightenment. Perhaps a fall of personal despotism or of avaricious or tyrannical oppression may be accomplished by revolution, but never a true reform in ways of thinking. Rather, new prejudices will serve as well as old ones to harness the great unthinking mass.

For this enlightenment, however, nothing is required by freedom, and indeed the most harmless among all the things to which this term can be properly applied. It is the freedom to make public one’s use of reason at every point. But I hear on all sides, “Do not argue!” The officer says: “Do not argue but drill!” The tax collector: “Do not argue but pay!” The cleric: “Do not argue but believe!” Only one prince in the world says, “Argue as much as you will and about what you will, but obey!” Everywhere there is restriction on freedom. ~ Immanuel Kant

The above is after the introduction by John Rajchman from the book THE POLITICS OF TRUTH by Michel Foucault.

...do you know up to what point you can know? Reason as much as you want, but do you really know up to what point you can reason without it becoming dangerous? ~ Michel Foucault

Enjoy and please do think. ~ Maggie ~ May 26, 2010 @ 8:36 PM

Fun Fun At The U.S. Consulate~

My daughter and I went to the Consulate today to get her Canadian butt Americanized.  Although the instructions specifically stated that anyone residing in the United States must go to a local passport office, based on our special circumstances, we gave it a try despite that fact.  Luckily, we had enough information to have the woman (whose time with us had been exceeded by about two hours) present to the Consulate the information we had AND the information she was able to dig up.  You see, you are supposed to have the information for BOTH American parents for the time period that she was born.  We did not have it in full and therefore, the processor wanted us to come back with “no information found” papers regarding her father’s death.

Personally, I think she just wanted to get rid of us as she stated “I am only supposed to spend 15 minutes with you.”  Mind you, the woman had to call Social Security as she needed proof about Andrew as my word was not good enough.  After speaking with SSA for a tad, she handed me the phone and let me speak to them in regard to what I could remember about my daughter’s father’s information.  Having known his date of birth (I was off by one day as HE didn’t know if he was born on the 27th or 28th so neither did I.), mother’s name, father’s name, brother’s name, and the fact that he was born on Long Island, we were able to establish the sucker’s full SSN and his date of death.  So I was one digit off on his first three SSN numbers.  Apparently, he died on March 1, 1999.  I also had to fill out a birth abroad paper or something like that which also had special circumstances written as I could not provide ANY dates in the columns that they provided.  All in all, it worked in our favor.  My daughter has been APPROVED for her passport and it was put on RUSH by them.

An unknown tad of information was told to us by SSA.  Andrew’s brother Christopher was not biologically related to Andrew’s father.  Hum.  Having met the old man, that could account for Christopher being so dark and Andrew being so light.  Ah, you learn something everyday! ~ Maggie ~ May 19, 2010 @ 4:06 p.m. EST    

Addendum: When leaving the Consulate, one of the guards asked why I have handcuffs and I responded that I am kinky.  The two other guards understood, but he didn’t so I suggested that he ask his buddies.  They kind of laughed at him.  I did find out that he is from Italy and worked in the U.S. Consulate over there.  He stated that accounted for his ignorance.  Actually he said: I am new to this country.  HA HA HA!!!!

A Wish~

My love had told me that “if wishes were fishes, the world would be an ocean.”  However, if one does not wish and pursue their wish they will not get it.  Some wishes are beyond reason such as a wish to become an astronaut at this stage of life, but simple wishes are not out of the question.  I do not wish for luxury or material gain, but I do wish for change.  Change requires doing and going forward toward a goal.  Obstacles must be looked at as they will slow down processes, but will not stop them unless they are wished to be stopped.  In the grand scope of things, what I wish for is NOT impossible.  There is a maximum time line in mind, but through circumstance(s) the time line could either be longer or shorter.  It all depends on the variables.

Although I have previously stated that I am a selfish person, I shall reiterate: I am selfish.  Anything I do I do so because it pleases me.  If no pleasure is derived even from pain, well then, it serves me no justice. Selfish could be looked at in a negative fashion, but it is not.  If someone derived joy from doing something FOR YOU, they are being selfish as they are really doing for themselves.  Is this so bad?  Me thinks not, however, if anyone would like to argue the point, please do so.  Selfish is destructive when you self serve and harm others in the process.  You gain nothing at that point as what has served you now will bite you in the ass later.

There is a part of me that has another wish (yet again) to return to school.  A second bachelor’s degree is not out of the question, but a master’s degree in psychology is higher on the strata and would be much easier to obtain AND I could hang my shingle.  My absurd wish is for my Ph.D. in history, but I would have to do two years toward my second bachelors to even start the process.  Here lies a problem in time economics.  Starting with 100 percent of time resources, I am already at capacity.  Should I choose to return to academia I would have to give up certain things to free percentage points which would pull me away from my first goal.  There is also another issue here that I must consider: I have to watch where I fly.  Radar sucks as do time economic cost factors.  Oh well!  Focus and the first wish and perhaps the second wish will come to be at a later point in time. ~ Maggie ~ May 17, 2010 @ 3:36 p.m. EST

In The Beginning~

In the beginning, I was alone floating in a sea of possibilities.  Perhaps there was a connection to all that is back then, but I do not remember observing it nor do I remember any sense of it.  That is not to say that there was none.  Perhaps in my not yet coming to being I had not been aware.

In the end, I will be alone once again floating in a sea of possibilities.  Will I remember there was a connection to all that is?  I have observed and I have sensed, but will these memories come with me?  Perhaps in no longer being one does not require being aware. ~ Maggie ~ May 14, 2010 @ 7:53 p.m. EST

Required Contrast~

How noticeable is a lit candle during the day?  Imagine the sun in shining brightly through newly cleansed windows.  Such light illuminates said room and makes dim that which would otherwise shine brightly in the dark.  Can it then be said:

Tis best to burn during the night
Knowing you will see the light
That only shines oh so slight
When sky fires are burning bright

Camouflage allows for blending in and thus not being noticed.  Some species have evolved as such to either eat or not be eaten.  Camouflage can also be used by humans (in clothing form) to blend into their environment thus making them less noticeable to a possible predator/prey.

Some humans do not require a camouflage collection in order not to be seen as they blend into the population at large and prefer not to stand out and be counted.  I suppose that is a good thing.  Actually, it is a good thing.  How else might a candle burn bright during the day?

Some bright candles would know that the best place to hide is in plain sight in full light.  Imagine knocking the candle to the floor as you exit the room only to find your home on fire shortly afterwards?  The tiny unseen flame can develop into a raging fire whose billows of smoke can be seen for miles. ~ Maggie ~ May 4, 2010 @ 1:13 a.m. EST

Addendum:  A stationary observer watches the turtle and the hare.