Philosophical Minds Reading - Kant**Join us for the premier of a collective reading & text discussion session!**
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) is one of the central figures of Western philosophy, known above all for his work on reason, autonomy, and moral judgment. His 1784 essay *Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?* is short — a few pages — but precise in a way that rewards slow, careful reading.
For this session, we do exactly that: read the text together, paragraph by paragraph, in the tradition of a philosophy seminar. What does Kant mean by *Unmündigkeit* — the self-incurred immaturity he sees all around him? Where does he draw the line between the public and private use of reason, and does that distinction hold? These are not rhetorical questions; they are ones the text itself invites us to sit with.
It can serve as perfect preparation for the May event.
**Text access:**
Please bring a copy of the text in your preferred format and language with you. Recommended versions are
\- German original: [Kant, Immanuel, Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung](http://www.zeno.org/Philosophie/M/Kant,+Immanuel/Beantwortung+der+Frage:+Was+ist+Aufkl%C3%A4rung)
\- English Translation: [An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant 1784](https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/kant/enlightenment.htm) or [this version](https://sites.evergreen.edu/politicalshakespeares/wp-content/uploads/sites/226/2015/12/Kant-A-response-to-the-question-What-is-Enlightenment.pdf)
**Meeting point:**
We meet at the main entrance of the **main building of the University of Zurich** and will find a place either in the wonderful Lichthof or on the terrace (depending on the weather). If you can't make it on time but still want to join, reach out to the host.
**For our reading events in general:**
Whether this format is new to you or a long-missed return to university seminars, you're warmly welcome. Bring a copy of the text in any language or edition you prefer — the reading itself is our guide.
Important: When you register for the event, please commit to it and **don't be a NO SHOW**. Presumably, when the old Stoics decided to go to an event, they kept to it ;)
We look forward to seeing you