Dialectics of Enlightenment, East and West

Abstract

Critical theorists have argued that the concept of Enlightenment is paradoxical. While it designates the liberation from superstition through the use of reason, Enlightenment also sets up new forms of superstition. This article focuses on Gan Yang's and Wang Hui's rereading of the dynamic processes of Enlightenment in China and in Europe. It argues for a transcultural perspective on Enlightenment's tendency to give rise to a deformation of reason. Only if the culturally varying forms of reason and unreason in Europe as well as China are being reflected might it be possible to continue pursuing the self‐critical project of Enlightenment at a global level.

Curriculum paradigms and perspectives of life and spiritual education: Contrast and diversity

“…3-4;Daffern 2005;Nakagawa 2000, 211). Also, there might be possibilities of interaction and convergence between Buddhism and Romanticism in psychotherapy and mental liberation (Lussier 2011) providing implications for life and spiritual education, transcultural dialogue and self-critical reflection on the diversified forms and notions of reason and unreason in Eastern and Western contexts (Wenning 2017) as well as potentials of blending of Eastern and Western approaches to holistic education (Lyer 2015). In addition, the construction of a holistic character embedding both qualities of Western enlightenment and Eastern awakening (Sharma 2003) provides new possibilities for life and values education curriculum from the perspectives of intellectual traditionalist and social behaviourist.…”