kant, foucault and the critical tradition

the eighteenth century enlightenment is one of the most important foundations of the modern culture and thecontemporary western philosophy can be regarded as a dialogue between the enlightenment and its critics. although the roots of the enlightenment can be traced to the late middle ages and even before, but it is in kant’s “what is enlightenment?” (and implicitly in his critical trilogy and political works) that the enlightenment and the modern situation are formulated philosophically. foucault , french postmodern philosopher, has written three essays on kant's “what is enlightenment?” they are as follows: “what is critique?” (1978), “kant on enlightenment and revolution” (1983), and “what is enlightenment?” (1984). these works indicate a considerable shift in his approach to the enlightenment. this essay tries to explain this shift by analyzing and comparing kant’s and foucault’s views of the enlightenment. for foucault, the enlightenment is not a historical period which has its own general principles but is a continuation of the critical tradition, philosophical ethos and ontology of the present and, as such, has been one of the main currents of western philosophy from kant until the present time.