Sapere Aude
Sapere aude is the Latin expression for “dare to know.” The term originates from the Epistolae (Letters) of the Roman poet Horace (Epist. I,2,40, 20 BC). In this letter, Horace encourages his friend Lollius to seek wisdom and not be influenced by wealth, status, or power. Lollius should think for himself and take responsibility for his life instead of blindly following the crowd.¹ Thanks to Immanuel Kant, this expression became the motto of the Enlightenment. He saw the phrase as a call to intellectual maturity and the emancipation of humanity. He used it in his essay Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung? (1784): Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?²
“Sapere aude! Have the courage to use your own understanding,” exhorts Kant.³ The Enlightenment was a period in which enlightened thinkers encouraged people to think for themselves. This could be done through the use of the senses (empiricism) or through reason (rationalism). The Enlightenment ideal was independent thinking, not based on authorities or specific belief systems. Everyone stood on equal footing to make use of their own reason. Only then, it was believed, could society truly progress.⁴ This way of thinking led to many innovations: judicial reforms made trials fairer, Montesquieu introduced the trias politica, and many other important reforms were implemented.⁵
Unfortunately, the Enlightenment also had a negative side: it was a time when people believed human beings could be objective. In fact, people were expected to be objective and abandon religion (Christianity). This is the great mistake: human beings are not objective, and Christianity is the truth! Within this context, I want to echo Kant’s call: dare to think!
Globalization
While your great-grandfather probably only knew his own country, it is likely that you have already visited several. We are living at the height of globalization. In our media society, I can contact someone on the other side of the world in less than five seconds, and a law passed in the United States now affects my daily life (think, for example, of legislation on Bitcoin).
More than ever, we are influenced by what we see, hear, and read. But what does this bring us? Of course, there are good things — such as greater cultural knowledge, new languages, new cuisines, literature, etc. But as the football player Johan Cruijff said: “Every advantage has its disadvantage.”
Looking at the world globally, we see a growth of individualism: from unity to loneliness.⁶ Where people once derived their identity from their role in the family, in the country, or in their relationship with God — or from a context where all three combined — today identity comes from within oneself.⁷
This individualism is clearly reflected in the New Thought movement, which puts the individual at the center. “You are enough,” “Do what makes you feel good,” and “I deserve everything” are well-known mantras of this movement.⁸ Curiously, although individualism is growing, people are not becoming happier.⁹ Mental health is also in decline.¹⁰ This is largely due to the excessive use of social media.
The amount and type of information you receive daily on social media is harmful. Everything happens too quickly.¹¹ There is no time to rest, to reflect on what you see, because you must keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling… This makes it difficult to form an opinion about what is happening around you. In addition, one must take into account the culture of cancellation: you are swallowed by the masses. The mantra is: “We accept everyone — unless you disagree with us.” And thus, you are forced not to have your own opinion.
Secularization
It is difficult to think for yourself, especially when you are being guided in a certain direction. As I mentioned earlier, the Enlightenment brought with it the illusion of objectivity. But each of us sees life through a particular lens, shaped by our experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. This perspective determines everything we say, do, and are. Even scientists are not analytical robots; they are human beings with perspectives, emotions, and intuitions. Their thought models are shaped by all these elements. And therefore, these elements are also present in their models.¹²
During my Law studies, I am constantly taught secular values, including ethical relativism. In the course of public international law, I learned that it is not possible to clearly define what good ethical principles are: different peoples may reach different conclusions about what “good ethics” means.¹³
It is said that good and evil are indeterminable. And yet, we can agree that genocide is unacceptable. Moral relativism brings many inconsistencies, such as: you must do what makes you feel good and respect the freedom of others, and you cannot tell another person how they should act. But what if I feel good telling another person how to act? And what does respect really mean? These are things people simply do not think about — nor are they encouraged to.
These secular values are accepted as givens; they should not be questioned, because “this is just the way things are.” But do these values give us any foundation? Within the dominant worldview of secularization, all that exists is matter.¹⁴ This means that there is no consciousness — or at least, my consciousness is merely the result of chemical reactions.
The consequence of this reasoning is that my thoughts are not based on truth, but arise randomly from chemical processes. In other words, they should not be taken seriously. They may be true or false — and you have no basis to determine which is which, because to do so you would have to rely on your thoughts. What a tiring circle.
The State
The State exists to protect certain natural rights — life, liberty, and property — and to enable us to enjoy them as fully as possible. These rights stand above the State, according to John Locke. That is why we grant the State limited power.¹⁵
However, this limited power is gradually increasing. The State is becoming more and more involved in our lives: how to raise your children, where your tax money goes, and so on. And many of us allow this. By doing so, individual responsibility is being transferred to the State. At the same time, we are losing part of our natural rights — the freedom to think independently, to make our own decisions, our right to life and property.
I see this every day — at university, in my taxes, on television. Where once children learned math, language, and spelling in school, they now receive extensive sex education. Parenting no longer seems to be the responsibility of parents, but of the State — because the State supposedly knows better. And whoever disagrees is labeled a “lunatic.”
Dare to think!
When I began to reflect on all this, I realized that what I was being taught was nothing but wind. But what is our alternative? I invite you to think for yourself and not accept things blindly. My search for truth began at university and led me to the Christian God — a God who loves me and is my moral compass. This journey came with many questions and much personal study, through which I learn more about God every day and realize, more and more, that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Although much of what I learn goes against the teachings of God, I always keep these words in my heart: “To reach the source, one must swim against the current.” I exhort you to always ask questions, remain critical, and research for yourself — about everything you hear, see, and read. I hope that you too will draw closer to God and realize that He is the only one who can guide you.
“The church is full of Christians who are at an intellectual standstill. As Christians, they leave their minds unused. As a result, their faith is immature and superficial. People who simply ride the roller coaster of emotional experiences deprive themselves of a deeper and richer Christian faith by neglecting the intellectual side of that faith.” — William Lane Craig
Dare to think!
-Ella
Notes:
(1) Horace: Epistulae I. (z.d.). https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/horace/epist1.shtml?utm_source=chatgpt.com
(2) Meynen, T. (2019, 18 oktober). Sapere aude – heb de moed om wijs te zijn | Faidros. Faidros. https://www.faidros.nl/sapere-aude-heb-de-moed-om-wijs-te-zijn
(3) Janssen, J. (2024, 30 oktober). Durf te denken: Lale Gül over de mondigheid van Kant. Filosofie Magazine.
(4) Koops, E. (2024, 24 augustus). De Verlichting - Eeuw van de Rede (stroming). Historiek. https://historiek.net/de-verlichting-stroming/79841/
(5) Memo geschiedenis: Bovenbouw VWO (vijfde editie). (2016). malmberg.
(6) Eenzaamheid | Leeftijd en geslacht. (z.d.). Volksgezondheid en Zorg. https://www.vzinfo.nl/eenzaamheid/leeftijd-en-geslacht#:~:text=In%202022%20gaf%2049%25%20van,eenzaamheid%20zijn%20er%20nauwelijks%20verschillen.
(7) Keller, T. (2016). Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Sceptical. Hachette UK.
(8) Happy lies:: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard Of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World. (2021).
(9) Poushter, J., & Poushter, J. (2024, 14 april). Worldwide, People Divided on Whether Life Today Is Better Than in the Past. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2017/12/05/worldwide-people-divided-on-whether-life-today-is-better-than-in-the-past/
(10) Alarming’ worldwide decline in mental health. (2022). National Alliance On Mental Health. https://www.nami.org/in-the-news/alarming-worldwide-decline-in-mental-health/
(11) The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health: ‘Like’ it or not, using social media can cause anxiety, depression, and other health challenges. How can you change your habits? (z.d.). Mass General Brigham McLean. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health
(12) Lopes, A. N. (2019). Cristianismo na universidade: a prática da integração da fé cristã à academia. Vida Nova.
(13) International Law: Jan Klabbers (second edition). (2017). Cambridge university press.
(14) Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015). Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews. David C Cook.
(15) Recht, orde en Vrijheid: Een historische inleiding in de rechtsfilosofie (derde druk). (2011). Wolters Kluwer.