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Publication

Moses Mendelssohn's idea of a misuse and a corruption of culture and enlightenment

Book Contribution - Chapter

Subtitle:A criricism of enlighenment from an enlighted point of view


Mendelssohn developed his criticism of enlightenment in ‘On the question: what does enlighten mean’. This essay is his answer to the question of the meaning of enlightenment discussed within the ‘Wednesday society’. In my contribution I first explain the debate within that society and show how the theme of a misuse of enlightenment is treated in it. Then, I successively reconstruct and analyze Mendelssohn’s idea of a misuse and a corruption of culture and enlightenment. Finally, I briefly consider if there are similarities between this 18th century criticism of enlightenment and that of Adorno and Horkheimer.
Book: Aufklärungs-Kritik und Aufklärungs-Mythen
Pages: 179-200
Number of pages: 22
ISBN:978-3-11-055328-4
Publication year:2018
Keywords:philosophy of enlightenment
  • VABB Id: c:vabb:465789