What is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is a person's emergence from their self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another.  It is so easy to be immature.Thus, it is difficult for any individual person to work themselves out of the immaturity that has all but become their nature. They have even become fond of this state and for the time being is actually incapable of using their own understanding, for no one has ever allowed them to attempt it. But that the public should enlighten itself is more likely; indeed, if it is only allowed freedom, enlightenment is almost inevitable.Nothing is required for this enlightenment, however, except freedom; and the freedom in question is the least harmful of all, namely, the freedom to use reason publicly in all matters.