Publication of Kant's 'What Is Enlightenment?'
- When
- 1783–1784
- Where
- Berlinische Monatsschrift publication venue; Berlin intellectual public sphere
- Episodes
- 2
In December 1784 Immanuel Kant published his essay "Answering the Question: What Is Enlightenment?" in the Berlinische Monatsschrift, replying to a question posed a year earlier by Reverend Johann Friedrich Zöllner. The essay appeared in the journal's December 1784 issue, edited by Friedrich Gedike and Johann Erich Biester, and later contributed to Kant's rising reputation.
Episodes
- Zöllner's Question and Biester's Essay
Zöllner posed his enlightenment question in reply to Biester's April 1783 essay on clergy at marriages.
- Publication of "What Is Enlightenment?"
Kant's essay appeared in the December 1784 issue of the Berlinische Monatsschrift, answering Zöllner's question.
Background and detail
Background. The essay originated in a question posed a year earlier by the Reverend Johann Friedrich Zöllner, an official in the Prussian government. Zöllner's question was addressed to a broad intellectual public community in reply to Biester's April 1783 essay proposing not to engage the clergy any longer when marriages are conducted.
Publication. Kant's reply, "Answering the Question: What Is Enlightenment?" (Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?), appeared in the December 1784 issue of the Berlinische Monatsschrift (Berlin Monthly), edited by Friedrich Gedike and Johann Erich Biester. The supplied sources date the essay to 1784 but do not specify a day of publication.
Context in Kant's Career. Kant, a German philosopher born in Königsberg in the Kingdom of Prussia and a central thinker of the Enlightenment, saw his reputation rise through the latter 1780s, sparked by a series of important works including the 1784 essay, alongside 1785's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and 1786's Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science.
People involved
- Immanuel Kant · author of the essay
- Johann Friedrich Zöllner · Prussian government official and clergyman who posed the original question
- Friedrich Gedike · co-editor of the Berlinische Monatsschrift
- Johann Erich Biester · co-editor of the Berlinische Monatsschrift and author of the April 1783 essay that prompted Zöllner's question
Sources
- What Is Enlightenment? Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-18
- Immanuel Kant Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-28
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.