But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience. - Immanuel Kant

A great part, perhaps the greatest part, of the business of our reason consists in the analysation of the conceptions which we already possess of objects.

The more we devote ourselves to observing animals and their behaviour, the more we love them, on seeing how gready they care for their young; in such a context, we cannot even contemplate cruelty to a wolf. Leibnitz put the grub he had been observing back on the tree with its leaf, lest he should be guilty of doing any harm to it. It upsets a man to destroy such a creature for no reason, and this tenderness is subsequently transferred to man.

Διαφωτισμός είναι η έξοδος του ανθρώπου από την ανωριμότητα για την οποία ο ίδιος ευθύνεται.