A Critique Of The Self-preservation Reason Based On The Dialectic Of Enlightenment

This essay try to interpret the "self-destruction logic of enlightenment" which Horkheimer and Adorno revealed in The Dialectic of Enlightenment from an angle of "self-preservation". Enlightenment, which regard "self-preservation" as its principle, from its very beginning, is an oppression to both of the nature and the human being themselves, the core line that runs through this great effort is that the pursuit and confirmation of power impling in it, this is the deppest cause of enlightenment’s degeneration to barbarism. Stepping into the Mordern world, the exalted enlightenment encounters with a destruction dilemma, it leads to the disintegration of the true self which needs to be preserved and the emancipation of the "blind power" which needs to be constrained. Enlightenment moves towards its reverse side, the reason becomes unreason. Based on this destruction, Horkheimer and Adorno try to establish a new line for reason by the reflection of reason itself and the remember of the nature, so that we can possibly find the true right road of self-preservation.