From Kantian enlightenment to Rortyan rights: A pragmatist perspective

Abstract

This chapter aims at examining what really constitutes the eighteenth century Enlightenment Project? How reason, truth, and freedom are intertwined with each other and play the bedrock of Platonic and Kantian Enlightenment? For the Enlightenment, the reason has been capable of unravelling the deeper human nature which in turn frees us, the human beings from their embeddedness to the concrete and contingent situations. The 18th century Enlightenment project was to ensure human beings' confidence in themselves concerning matters of public importance. Its aim was to place the human being's confidence in reason in order to think for themselves and free them from the self-incurred immaturity. The emphasis of the enlightenment's project was to secure reason a central place which is endowed with a capacity to fathom a universal human nature and thus guaranteeing freedom to human beings. The attempt will be made to understand whether the Kantian Enlightenment has been able to achieve its proclaimed goal or if it has failed. Many modern philosophers further see the advent of human rights from the Kantian Enlightenment project as if human rights are just a part of the extended culture of the enlightenment. Here I would like to bring in Richard Rorty who sees that the Enlightenment Project has failed to achieve what it has prophesied. It could not overcome the Platonic universal forms, something which have been transcendental in nature. For Rorty the Enlightenment could not break away from the shadow of religion which it had struggled against. Finally, the chapter will attempt to examine whether the enlightenment's goal can be achieved through invoking sentimentality rather than by knowing deeper human nature and universal moral principles. For him human rights can best be viewed as nothing but the summarisation from the given cultures and not from the given fixed human nature. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Vishnu Varatharajan, Meera Chakravorty and Mbuh Tennu Mbuh.