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Citizen journalism as a continuation of the Enlightenment Central to Elon Musk’s strong commitment to citizen journalism is the idea that each individual has the power to think for themselves and contribute to the public conversation. Collecting and confronting all points of view is the best approach to get to the truth, as opposed to delegating the task to a selected few journalists. “Let the people choose the narrative and let the people determine the truth” is one of Elon Musk’s key mottos for this new form of journalism. This idea strongly resonates with Immanuel Kant’s definition of an enlightened society in the text What is Enlightenment: “If I have a book that understands for me, a spiritual advisor who has a conscience for me, a doctor who decides upon a regimen for me, and so forth, I need not trouble myself at all. I need not think, if only I can pay; others will readily undertake the irksome business for me. That by far the greatest part of humankind (including the entire fair sex) should hold the step toward majority to be not only troublesome but also highly dangerous will soon be seen to by those guardians who have kindly taken it upon themselves to supervise them; after they have made their domesticated animals dumb and carefully prevented these placid creatures from daring to take a single step without the walking cart in which they have confined them, they then show them the danger that threatens them if they try to walk alone. Now this danger is not in fact so great, for by a few falls they would eventually learn to walk; but an example of this kind makes them timid and usually frightens them away from any further attempt. (…) That a public should enlighten itself is more possible; indeed this is almost inevitable, if only it is left its freedom (…) namely, freedom to make public use of one’s reason in all matters. (…) The public use of one’s reason must always be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among human beings.” Immanuel Kant, An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment, 1784
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