德意志與啟蒙運動(Aufklarung)--一個初步的反思

Abstract

This essay attempts to delineate the characteristics of the Aufklarung, the German Enlightenment, through a reconsideration of the old question 'What is Enlightenment' raised firstly by German thinkers in the 1780s. It discusses the three distinct characters of the Aufklarung: the important role of the Church, both Protestant and Catholic, in its development, the close relationship of the Aufklarer with the state, and the contribution of German universities to the developing and spreading of the enlightened ideas. All these stand in sharp contrast with the classical experience of the French Enlightenment. The diversity of the European Enlightenment, and the adoption of the term ”Enlightenment” by non-European civilization, like China, will force us to reflect again upon the question ”What is Enlightenment?” in order to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of ”Enlightenment.”