Domestic livestock (Allegory)
Kant tells the story of domestic livestock to draw a parallel between animals and people, showing how they are socially conditioned to rely on guardians. Many people depend on authorities rather than thinking for themselves, just as domestic livestock depend on their keepers. Animals, being taken care of, have little incentive to explore the outside world. Likewise, people who let others decide for them find it comfortable to remain in a state of immaturity. This comfort in dependency, Kant argues, keeps individuals from pursuing enlightenment.
Just as livestock keepers train their animals to fear the world beyond their pen, so that they will never walk out on their own, social guardians make people terrified of independent thought. Guardians exaggerate the dangers of independence, which discourages people from embracing autonomy.
Kant notes that if domestic livestock were to try to explore the outside world, they might face some challenges and fail a couple of times. But these challenges are not hard to overcome, and they will eventually learn to walk outside on their own. People, too, should not be intimidated by temporary challenges they confront when seeking to think independently. If they try to take the first steps, they will eventually learn to think on their own.
