Foucault critically interpreted Kant's "Answer the Question: What is Enlightenment?" in his book "What is Enlightenment?", arguing that Kant describes Enlightenment and the modern world through differential mechanisms, emphasizing a unique paradigm of modern thinking. Kant defined enlightenment as an "outlet" that focuses on the present rather than the ultimate goal of the historical process. Foucault emphasized the connection between the mission of modern philosophy and the reflection of the times in Kant's Enlightenment texts, as well as the new formulation of modernity issues. Foucault believed that Enlightenment modernity is a critical spiritual temperament oriented towards modernity, and requires archaeological or genealogical perspectives to understand the legitimacy of modernity. Steven Smith explores the relationship between modernity and legitimacy in "Modernity and Its Discontent," pointing out that modernity faces challenges from universalist discourse, alienation issues, and moral emptiness. Thinkers such as Benjamin, Adorno, and Horkheimer also criticized modernity. The debate between Hans Blumenberg and Carl Schmitt reflects the tension between enlightenment and anti enlightenment, modernity and anti modernity, both attempting to provide direction for the era of value nihilism and write a history that serves life.

1、 Secularization: an unjust historical category?

Explored the core position of secularized narrative in modern historical imagination, pointing out that it provides a framework for understanding the evolution of European or Western culture, emphasizing the retreat of religion from public life, the rise of human autonomy and subjectivity, and the self-sufficient systematization of social life. At the same time, it points out the inherent ideological difficulties in secularized narratives, such as the modern world's dependence on transcendent images and language, as well as the connection between modernity concepts and Christian historical semantics. Blumenberg criticized the proliferation of secularized expressions in "The Legitimacy of Modernity," arguing that they cannot fairly elucidate the phenomenology of the modern world. He proposed that modernity is not completely detached from medieval Christian thought, but has a deeper and more dialectical connection with it. Blumenberg attempts to uncover the fundamental motivations that drive meaning and cultural creation from the Christian theological tradition, in order to construct a modern genealogy distinct from secularized narratives. In addition, the chapter also discusses the legal meaning of the concept of secularization and its role in modernity criticism, pointing out that the entity myths in secularized narratives cancel the rights of modernity as a new era.

2、 Gnosticism and the Emergence of the Modern World

In the book 'The Legitimacy of Modernity', the author explores the connection between modernity and the need for self assertion and self confirmation. Blumenberg believed that modern spirit or reason is the protagonist on the historical stage, and Gnosticism played a key role in the formation of the modern world. Gnosticism originated in late ancient Greece, emphasizing the "otherness" of human existence and reflecting ontological anxiety and fear in early Christian history. Blumenberg constructed a special historical continuity through the "question response" model, emphasizing the necessity for humans to establish an orderly connection between themselves and the external world.

3、 Rhetoric of Political Theology and Its Limitations

In his book "The Legitimacy of Modernity," Hans Blumenberg delves into the relationship between theology and modernity and criticizes Carl Schmitt's political theology. Blumenberg believed that Schmitt regarded important concepts in modern state theory as secularized theological concepts, which is a radical form of secularization theory. Schmidt's political theology is based on the connection between history and exceptional states, reflecting an anti Enlightenment sentiment that emphasizes God's revelation and rule over world history.