Failed Enlightenment?

In public discourses, there is often talk of the Enlightenment. Sometimes it is equated with modernity or the sciences, sometimes it is claimed that it itself was not enlightened or has failed. But what is enlightenment anyway? This book asks this question again, examining prejudices, clichés, distorted images or simply widespread assumptions about the Enlightenment. For example, the second chapter on The Limits of Reason: Experience, Intellect (Verstand), and Reason (Vernunft)" criticizes the widespread clichés about the European Enlightenment as believing in reason that rejected or fought feelings and emotions. A central section is devoted to the search of many Enlightenment philosophers for the limits of knowledge. This book explores different dimensions or approaches of Enlightenments. Enlightenment can be understood as a cross-cultural phenomenon of processes in which one`s own critical reason is central. The historical epoch concept refers to the cultural and intellectual history of Europe as well as North and Latin America in the 18th century. The Enlightenment of the intellect (Verstand) is thirdly about the fight against ignorance and prejudices and the clarification of concepts. Enlightenment through science is the short formula for an Enlightenment model which was partly advocated by the French encyclopedists. Fifth, emancipatory enlightenment is primarily concerned with liberation from various forms of paternalism, from social, religious, political or cultural shackles that cannot be justified before the court of reason. Finally, enlightenment can be understood as the enlightenment of reason (Vernunft; as opposed to the enlightenment of the intellect or mind), namely as an independent reflection on one`s own thinking. The very diverse European Enlightenment is characterized, among other things, by the intensified turn to one`s own mind or reason, as an attempt to think for oneself, as an age of criticism and as an intensified turn to the individual and to history. The fight against fanaticism, superstition, enthusiasm, dogmatic attitudes and narrow- mindedness can be regarded as the lowest common denominator of the various currents within the European Enlightenment. The book emphasizes the contemporary relevance of philosophical approaches within the European Enlightenment, for example with regard to the limits of reason, the justification of morality and ethics or human rights. The last 1 chapter attempts to answer the central question of the allegedly failed Enlightenment in a differentiated way Enlightenment understood as a process and a never-ending intellectual struggle against a many-headed hydra, where prejudices, half-education, ignorance, superstition, fanaticism, dogmatism and so on grow again and again.