| 摘 要： | Establishing a dialogue with the Enlightenment spirit has been a constant challenge confronting the intellectual community. A review of human history reveals that whenever social progress comes to a turning point, the topic of Enlightenment will inevitably be raised, giving rise to a new round of heated discussions triggered by doubts, reflections and criticisms in relation to Enlightenment. Today, although Enlightenment and the modem rule of law have not yet been accepted as general social practices, the＇modernization that embodies the Enlightenment spirit and the appeal of the rule of law has actually transcended purely academic boundaries. In a sense, it could be said, ＂modemization＂ has taken root in the minds of the majority of Chinese, epitomizing almost all their expectations and imaginations about life in the future. In the final analysis, re-opening the discussion of enlightenment represents a new attempt to unravel the complex of contradictions within the dual tensions between ancient times and modemity and between China and the West, identify the causes of intemal and external conflicts, explore the humanistic foundation of modem states ruled by law and the true values inherent in the Enlightenment, and discover the significance of these values for contemporary China in theory and practice, in an attempt to pursue a realistic path and find the intellectual and cultural resources for the establishment of a modem state ruled by law.
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