Hello everyone! My name is Cedrick and I am majoring in Corp. Communications. When I am asked if I am a New Yorker, I hesitate because I was raised in Long Island where we are not identified as one of the boroughs in New York. I used to get bashed on by my friends in Queens for not knowing the struggles of being a “real New Yorker” but since I’ve been commuting to Baruch I now know the struggles.

I believe Kant’s definition of Enlightenment is a state when a person has the ability to think for themselves. Now I know it may sound crazy. After all, do we not all think for ourselves? We make our own choices based on our own beliefs.. Or do we? Because we think that we follow our own set of rules and beliefs is why Kant thinks Enlightenment is difficult to achieve. He calls this state of false Enlightenment, “immaturity”. Immaturity is the state in which we are so comfortable with what we’re told to say and to do that we accept it. We dare not wander from what we already understand because that could be dangerous and as humans, we want to stay safe. I have encountered moments where I chose to stay with the norm because I was afraid of what others may think of me.

I think that we do not currently live in an Enlightened age because in our society we are obsessed with titles and what others think of us. We blindly follow the teachings of those around us who follow the same structure of our society. Today, the internet gives us the ability to learn things on our own and to say whatever we feel like however, it is only temporary whilst in front of a screen. The real emergence from immaturity is when one can do and say things on their own. There will always be situations where we will obey and hide our own thoughts because the mentality of our society is duty before reason.