The Contemporary Relevance of Kant's Concept of Enlightenment

Abstract

<h6>ChatGPT 說：</h6><p>Kant’s concept of Enlightenment has a distinctive meaning. He holds that Enlightenment is not merely the expansion and advancement of knowledge, but more importantly, the courage to use one’s own reason and to free oneself from a self-imposed state of immaturity caused by laziness or cowardice. This is especially important for modern society, because in the “post-truth era” of information overload and rampant misinformation, many people tend to develop an attitude of indifference toward facts, which makes continuous re-enlightenment necessary. The first part of this paper clarifies Kant’s understanding of the public use of reason and the conditions for reaching consensus with others. The second part attempts to explain three principles and modes of thinking required for reason to achieve consensus. The third part further points out how Kant’s advocacy of rational consensus and Enlightenment can counteract the widespread attitude of indifference in the “post-truth era.”</p>

康德認為启蒙不仅是知识的扩展与进步，更重要的是我们要勇敢运用自己的理性，脱离因懒惰或怯懦而自招的未成熟状态。這對现代社会尤其重要，因為在信息过载与假信息泛滥的“后真相时代”，许多人容易養成对事实漠不关心的态度，因此有不斷再启蒙的必要。本文第一部份厘清康德對理性公共运用的理解，以及与他人达成共识的条件。第二部份尝试说明理性要达成共识的三条原则与思维方式。第三部份则进一步指出，康德的理性公识和启蒙主张，如何对治在“后真相时代”普遍的漠不关心思维态度。