1784, three years after Kant published Critique of Pure Reason (first edition, 178 1), he published an applied article "Answer this question: What is enlightenment (movement)" in the fourth volume of Berlin Monthly at that time. In the ninth issue of the same volume, the magazine published a similar article by mercy Mendelssohn, a Jewish philosopher, about "What is Enlightenment (Movement)"? ",according to Kant's small note when he later published an article, if he had read this article, he would have withheld his own article. "Now this article is just to test the extent to which accidental performance brings two people's ideas together" [1].

Two hundred years later, we will read articles written by two philosophers to answer the same question. Of course, we will notice how, like michel foucault, Jewish philosophical thoughts are integrated into the general trend of German philosophical thoughts under the background of German society [2], but we will also feel that the two philosophers have different positions on the maturity of "enlightenment".

In contrast, Mendelssohn's article seems clearer than Kant's, which may be the reason why monthly editors were more inclined to Mendelssohn's answer at that time.

Mendelssohn distinguished "enlightenment-Aufklaerung", "culture" and "education-Bildung" at the beginning of the article, holding that "enlightenment" focuses on "theory", "culture" focuses on "practice" and "education" is a combination of the two. Perhaps it really shows the grand philosophical background from the acceptance of Jewish thought by ancient Greek philosophy to the further deepening of German philosophy. Kant's philosophy is based on this philosophical thinking that "theory" and "practice" are both separated and combined. Since then, Fichte, Schelling and Hegel have all been within the framework of such thinking. Perhaps, it is at such a basic point that Kant feels that Mendelssohn has something in common with his own philosophy; But we will see that at the end of the article, Mendelssohn put forward an aspect that Kant's Enlightenment did not involve. Mendelssohn clearly pointed out that this concept comes from the teaching of Jewish writers, that is, the nobler things become perfect, the uglier they become after corruption [3], and the residual flowers are uglier than rotten wood and are also "corpses", and "animal corpses" are not like "human corpses"

We believe that Kant's concept of "enlightenment" is not an isolated view of a problem, but closely related to his whole philosophical concept. A short paper is closely related to his whole thought of "critical philosophy", and it will be too concise and too general to understand, which may even be the editor of Berlin Monthly at that time.

1. What are "enlightenment" and "maturity"?

Because it is an answer to the question, the first sentence of Kant's paper is: "Enlightenment (movement) means that people get rid of their own immature state." So what is the "immature state"? Then the second sentence is: "Immature state means that you can't use your own reason without the guidance of others." [5]

Enlightenment, as a trend of thought or movement, marked by "rationality", is a brand-new historical period in Europe after the Renaissance and the Religious Reform.

People's perceptual desire for legal status in the Renaissance. This also means that the medieval church once exercised its authority in the name of "rationality", which was explained by Thomas Aquinas' philosophy. /kloc-The rationalism of the Enlightenment in the 0/8th century showed a new face of "rationality" with the help of Luther's religious reform against foreign dogmatic authority. "Reason" broke away from external authority and formed its own internal.

Freedom is self. Everything comes from the self and returns to the self.

The spirit of "enlightenment" is the spirit of "rationality", "ego" and "freedom", and the spirit of "independence" in which "ego" is the master. The so-called "external" is the "other", including "people-others" and "things-objective world". Getting rid of all fetters is also the basic meaning of "freedom". Therefore, when Kant talks about "enlightenment", he emphasizes understanding the world by using his own cognitive function-reason, rather than relying solely on the guidance of "the other". The spirit of "enlightenment" is an independent spirit of "getting rid of-not needing" the guidance of others.

In this way, Kant linked his enlightenment thoughts with the traditional slogan of the Enlightenment-"Dare to know-Sapereaude". "Dare to know" means to dare to "know" things independently with one's own reason, without relying on or needing those external "guardians-guides-Vormuender". Kant vividly reveals those who rely on it. So Kant thinks that laziness and cowardice are the enemies of "enlightenment" and "maturity".