The Age of Enlightment

My Final Enlightenment

3. Explain and assess Foucault’s notion of the “blackmail” of the Enlightenment.

The term “Enlightenment” carries with it many different connotations. Most commonly it can be described as a movement towards some type of ultimate insight or awareness, emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. In the 17th century what were once considered some of the most powerful of the social systems, law and politics, were critically rejected and the powers of reason and scientific research were embraced. Along with this shift came a break with tradition and an adoption of a critical stance in regards to modern reality. Kant’s response to this question of enlightenment set the stage for countless arguments on the true meaning of this mysterious concept, and additionally marked a critical point in our existence. This notion that we as humans must obtain Enlightenment was something Kant truly believed in, but his suggestions as to how we obtain this were somewhat controversial and contentious. Nevertheless, his goal was clear. First, people must break free from the “guardians” who regulate the ways in which we think, and second we must illuminate the path so as to light the way for others to follow. This notion of our essential Enlightenment is exactly why Foucault uses the term “blackmail”, because in his eyes there is no need to be for or against Enlightenment. To him the most important aspect of Enlightenment, is that Enlightenment itself is examined as a whole. What Foucault really wants us to do is take a step back, and truly dissect the foundations of autonomy that we seemed to have built many of our structures upon. It is necessary that we draw our own conclusions of Enlightenment based s...

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...xt. One is that use of reason is not necessarily a principal of freedom. This idea that discovering truth creates systems of power must be rejected. Second is that claiming a certain form of rationality is the correct form, to be utilised by all individuals or society cannot be one that we take to be normative. Third is that no theory, no matter how well meaning, that offers a defence against the power restrictions of individuals. While these theories may provide ways to remove some of the structures in place, they inevitably build new restrictions for future generations. Each generation must deal with this struggle and find their own ways to challenge the power structures. The most important lesson we must take away from reading this piece is that to be most human is to create a life from the demands of our own unique nature.