The Modern Enlightenment: Why We Must Dare to Think for Ourselves

Opinion by Amy Ryu (Grade 9)

Our phones vibrate before our thoughts. We scroll and shout out meaningless slang words and it never seems to stop. We often treat these actions as a form of rest, believing they give our brains room to rest from the tireless academics. However, the spread of this kind of unproductive behavior unintentionally prevents us from thinking. 

Today, we live in a society where noise never ends. This may even be the loudest age in human history. Since we’re all exposed to the continuous sound and stimulation, the moment where we encounter silence, we feel uncomfortable and anxious. This demonstrates how the school may not be giving enough space and time to develop the skill of thinking. 

Recent studies show that excessive screen and constant noise exposure overstimulated students, reducing our generation’s attention spans, increasing stress levels, and making deep and analytical thinking difficult. When students are assigned a creative assignment, only a few manage to produce works that are truly innovative and original, which most likely refer to the fact that the others rely on the internet ideas or peers’ ideas. In our current school system, they claim to promote “creative” learning to address these issues, yet, the only identifiable action being taken is the addition of homework, content, and pressure. 

Humans are rational beings. Humanity was born with the ability to think, reason, and reflect. This idea can be referred back to the enlightenment when these thinkers emphasized improving humanity through independent thoughts. Immanuel Kant famously said, “sapere aude,” translating into “dare to think for yourself.” John Locke emphasized that true knowledge comes from experience and reflection, both requiring space, silence, and time. Without that, the form of education the school presents would just center around memorization rather than truly understanding. 

As a result, I suggest the initiation of “thinking hour,” following the sayings of prominent philosophical thinkers. The idea of “thinking hour” provides the students with a time for them to think about anything that comes up to their mind. At first, it may seem like a waste of time where students become even more restless and uncomfortable. However, the silence thinking hour creates will ultimately allow students to be innovative and think “out of the box,” which all of our teachers have told students but never allowed them to do. 

The enlightenment challenged blind obedience and acceptance to understanding. It allowed people to ask why, not just how. A thinking hour exactly does the same. It refuses to treat students as passive receivers of information and memorize all the content that is explained in the class and instead recognizes them as a rational being. 

The implementation of “Thinking Hour” is urgent for our school as this generation of teenagers are rapidly losing their ability to complete assignments independently, without the help of AI. We never think of why and how this is feasible and is initiated, rather, we just blindly obey what we’re told to do. For a better future filled with innovations, “thinking hour” will be an immediate catalyst for innovative thinkers.