BLUF: The article argues that we are regressing from the progress made during the Enlightenment, with dogmatic views gaining ground and freedom of expression increasingly restricted, emphasizing the need for unhindered freedom of reasoning in the public domain.
The article posits that we are reverting to a state of immaturity, with dogmatic views gaining ground and freedom of expression increasingly constrained by legislation and censorship. Drawing on Kant’s notion of Enlightenment, the author distinguishes between expression in the public and private domains, underscoring the importance of unrestricted freedom of reasoning in the former. The article argues that the call for consensus effectively results in stagnation, and highlights the need to break free from self-imposed chains and restore public discourse to its rightful place.