In the year of the 300th anniversary of Immanuel Kant’s birthday, we would like to take the opportunity to remind the German and international scholarly community of the philosopher’s ground-breaking distinction of the public and private use of reason:
“The public use of one’s reason must always be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among mankind; the private use of reason may, however, often be very narrowly restricted, without otherwise hindering the progress of enlightenment. By the public use of one's own reason I understand the use that anyone as a scholar makes of reason before the entire literate world. I call the private use of reason that which a person may make in a civic post or office that has been entrusted to him.” |
“Der öffentliche Gebrauch seiner Vernunft muß jederzeit frei sein, und der allein kann Aufklärung unter Menschen zustande bringen; der Privatgebrauch derselben aber darf öfters sehr enge eingeschränkt sein, ohne doch darum den Fortschritt der Aufklärung sonderlich zu hindern. Ich verstehe aber unter dem öffentlichen Gebrauche seiner eigenen Vernunft denjenigen, den jemand als Gelehrter von ihr vor dem ganzen Publikum der Leserwelt macht. Den Privatgebrauch nenne ich denjenigen, den er in einem gewissen ihm anvertrauten bürgerlichen Posten oder Amte von seiner Vernunft machen darf.” |
Immanuel Kant: “Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?” (“An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?”), 1784 |
The public use of reason defines scholarly practice at its core; it cannot be restricted with regard to responsibilities, duties or obligations that one may has in its assigned position or post. These responsibilities, duties and obligations constitute the limited realm of freedom that Kant calls the private use of reason. By contrast, the unrestricted freedom of the public use of reason is at issue when one acts, writes and speaks as a scholar and scientist, addressing the public, i.e. “the entire literate world.” Regardless of its specific juridical form, today the public use of reason is both protected and restricted within the realms of academic freedom and freedom of opinion.
The OIB reaffirms its responsibility and practice to protect academic freedom as guaranteed by the German constitution ( Art. 5 III Grundgesetz ).
As stated in our mission statement, we, as a community of scholars, “uphold the values of equal opportunity and social justice, and seek to overcome all forms of discrimination. The OIB is committed to offering a respectful and collegial working environment where critical inquiry can flourish and everybody is welcome.”
Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804, painting ca. 1790, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons