《启蒙辩证法》的遗产:启蒙理性的内在限度及其拯救

The Legacy of Dialectic of Enlightenment:the Inner Limits and Salvation of Enlightened Reason

启蒙始终在神话中确认自身,启蒙与神话总是相互纠缠.在启蒙理性实现自身的历史过程中,人类不断地从神话中出走,又不断地堕入新的神话.启蒙与神话的交织从神话作为启蒙时就已经开始,之后又在近代以来的哲学和自然科学的发展中变本加厉,这导致启蒙理性总是没能实现其唤醒世界和祛除神话的目标,反而带来了新的奴役和压迫.启蒙之所以不断堕入神话,从认识根源上说,源于启蒙理性总是试图在启蒙的过程中将自身树立为新的神话,并且以为这样就能够避免返回到神话中去,这在近代以来启蒙理性的工具化倾向中清晰地表现出来.启蒙理性能够克服自己的偏执与内在限度,其具体路径在于它本身也要启蒙,回复到自己有力的、能够对自我进行反思和否定的正常理性状态.唯如此,启蒙理性才有望走出野蛮与疯癫,获得自身的拯救.

Enlightenment always confirms itself in mythology,so enlightenment and mythology are always intertwined.In the historical process of the self-realization of enlightened reason,human beings constantly run away from the mythology and involved in the new myths.The interweaving of enlightenment and mythology has begun from mythology as enlightenment,and has since intensified in the development of modern philosophy and natural science.This has led to the failure of enlightened reason to achieve its aim,that is,the disenchantment of the world and the dissolution of myths.Instead,it brought new servitude and oppression.The epistemological reason of enlightenment’s constantly falling into myths,is that enlightened reason always tries to establish itself as a new myth in the process of its self-realization,and thought that this can avoid itself returning to mythology,which is clearly manifested in the increasingly extreme instrumental tendency of enlightened reason since the rapid development of modern Western science and technology.Enlightened reason can overcome its own inner limits.The way out is that it must step out of its own closed circle and return to its own normal state of reason that can reflect and negate itself.Only in this way can enlightened reason be expected to get out of barbarism and madness and be saved.