Although "people" are born with "freedom", once our ancestors endowed this "freedom", we have to pay a considerable price to redeem this treasure that originally belonged to us. Redemption of this treasure requires not only material strength-social development to a certain extent, but also spiritual strength. People should have the courage to overcome "laziness-cowardice".
Since it is a kind of "redemption", it is a matter for both "guardian" and "ward". Some "guardians" are enlightened and knowledgeable, aware of the progress of the times, feel this pace, and gradually "return" their rights and interests to the people. So there was a philosopher who called on European monarchs to "get back" this "freedom", and Fichte did this work after Kant [6]. The reason why the monarch is allowed to return "freedom" to the people is not only because they are enlightened and knowledgeable, but because it is an important means to promote social development at a certain stage. Without the creative work of all the people, society cannot make further progress and create greater material wealth, which is of course the favorite of monarchs-this concept has also been expressed in Kant's short article.
Therefore, when Kant expounded his concept of "enlightenment", he emphasized the condition of "freedom". Kant said, "This kind of enlightenment needs nothing but freedom. It is indeed the most harmless thing among all things that can be called freedom, that is, the freedom to openly use one's own reason in everything." [7] Kant promised that as long as this freedom is allowed, the enlightenment and maturity of the masses are not only possible, but also almost "inevitable" [8].
"Freedom" is the core concept in Kant's philosophy. Of course, the concept of "freedom" did not begin with Kant. Kant's job is to make a profound philosophical analysis of the concept of "freedom" so as to make it clear and enter the basic level of philosophy.
"Freedom" is the essential attribute of "rationality" and the way of existence of "rationality".
"Reason" was once understood as the same as "necessity". Reason is rules, logic, regularity and authority. In the Middle Ages, it took great pains to make theology more "inevitable" and rationally demonstrated theological problems. In order to break through the authority of theology, the Renaissance turned to "sensibility". However, since Descartes revealed the "doubt" of sensory experience, the problem of "rationality" has emerged from the basic level of philosophy; At this time, "rationality" emphasizes the meaning of "getting rid of" and "getting rid of"-"getting free from the bondage of" perceptual experience "in order to draw a clear line with perceptual paranoia. "Reason" and "freedom" have a natural connection. Under this thought, philosophical categories such as "necessity", "accident" and "possibility" have new ways of understanding. Freedom is not laissez-faire and carefree, nor is it a return to nature, but a rational creative function.
In On Enlightenment, Kant further distinguishes between two kinds of applications of "freedom" and "rationality", one is "public" and the other is "private". Kant said: "There must always be the freedom to openly use one's own reason (der oe ffentliche ge brauch Seiner vernunft), and only it can bring enlightenment to mankind. Der Privatgebrauch's own rationality is often very narrowly restricted, although it does not particularly hinder the progress of the Enlightenment. " [9] Here, Kant explained the specific meaning of the difference between "public" and "private (human)". Kant went on to say: "And the public use of reason as I understand it refers to the kind of use that anyone can make as an als Gelehrter in front of the whole audience (ganzen Publikum der Leserwelt). I call it a reason for private use. A person can be in a public office (a vertrauten buergerlichen posten) or a post (Amte). " [ 10]
Here, Kant has his own usage when using the words "public" and "private", because "private-private" usually means "personal-privacy", which is just the opposite of "(social) public office". Kant's usage can only be found in philosophical theory. Kant classified the social position of experience as "privat", which is also opposite to the most extensive "universality-publicity". This philosophical "universality-publicity" is "infinite", and everyone can participate and enjoy it, while all social "public offices-posts" are "limited" no matter how big their scope of authority is.
Kant understands and uses the words "private-private" and "public-public" on the philosophical level of "finite" and "infinite".